Deans, Adrienne

Boerma CJ

Fordyce J

De Souza, Mark

Palmer, Didier

Davis JS

2013-12-16

To describe the number and nature of emergency department (ED) attendances by immigration detainees in Darwin, in the Northern Territory, over a 12-month period. Retrospective observational study of immigration detainees attending the Royal Darwin Hospital ED during the 2011 calendar year. Number of ED attendances and primary diagnoses. In 2011, there were 770 ED attendances by 518 individual detainees at Royal Darwin Hospital. Those who attended the ED had a mean (SD) age of 27.6 (12.2) years, and 112 of them (21.6%) were children. Most (413, 79.7%) were male, and Iran and Afghanistan were the two most common countries of birth. We estimate that 50.1% (95% CI, 47.0%-53.2%) of immigration detainees in Darwin (mean, 776 per month; total, 1034), attended the Royal Darwin Hospital ED at least once in 2011. The most common primary diagnosis was psychiatric problems (187 attendances, 24.3%), including self-harm (138 attendances, 17.9%). In 2011, asylum seekers in immigration detention in Darwin had a high prevalence of unmet health needs and substantial levels of psychiatric morbidity. The primary health care provided to them was inadequate.

The Medical journal of Australia 2013-12-16; 199(11): 776-8

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24329656/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/5628

Adolescent

Adult

Child

Emergency Service, Hospital

Female

Health Services Accessibility

Hospitals, Public

Humans

Male

Medical Audit

Mental Disorders

Needs Assessment

Northern Territory

Retrospective Studies

Self-Injurious Behavior

Young Adult

Emigrants and Immigrants

Prisoners

Refugees

Use of Royal Darwin Hospital emergency department by immigration detainees in 2011.

Journal Article

Publication