11: The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Refugee Children in Detention in Canada: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: In Canada asylum seekers may be detained in prisonlike institutions. This includes children. The official statistics of the CBSA suggest that between 2005 and 2010, >650 children were detained each year. While international studies acknowledge the negative health consequences of detention on children, until now there has been no research on the detention of children in Canada. Objectives: This study aimed to generate an understanding of the wellbeing, health and experiences of migrant children who have been detained in Canada by documenting their perspectives during or after detention. Design/Methods: This was a qualitative study anchored in an ethnographic methodology. Data was collected using two methods: 1) indepth interviews with 18 families, who had been detained or were detained at the time of interview; and 2) participatory observation in the field (at the detention centres in Montreal and Toronto). Detention impacts on children mental health, wellbeing and sense of identity was documented. Results: Results suggest that even very brief periods of detention are distressing for children, with potentially longstanding sequelae. During detention, children are often separated from one or both parents, which appears to compound suffering. Children's narratives show that detention may negatively impact their sense of self and safety in Canada. Conclusions: Children experience detention as highly stressful, frightening and even, in some cases, traumatizing. Our findings suggest that detention may be significant determinant of health for this subgroup of children and that future policy and advocacy efforts should address this.