Uledsagede flygtningebørn med særlige omsorgs- og behandlings-behov i Danmark: En pilotundersøgelse af uledsagede mindreårige asylansøgere på Dansk Røde Kors børnecentre i perioden januar 1997-december 1997

Danish Red Cross Asylum Department runs 2 asylum centres for unaccompanied minors. During 1997 246 minors have attended these two centres for a period. A retrospective pilot study has been performed in order to identify children with special needs. 24% of these minors are registered as having special needs for care or/and treatment. The actual number of such children is probably higher as children who have extended need for contact to paedagoges, teachers or nurses are not included. Unaccompanied children with special needs are significantly younger than the whole group of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers, also waiting time before having a decision about asylum status is significantly longer for this group. This group have experienced a series of potentially traumatizing events, 37% imprisonment, 29% torture, and 31% had taken part in military activities. These children have few severe physical problems at arrival to Denmark, but many psychological symptoms such as sleeping problems (46%) psychosomatic symptoms (37%), anxiety (17%), depression and aggression (14%). The pilot study emphasizes a need for structured medical and psychosocial screening methods to be followed up by psychosocial interventions in the preasylum period.