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Pervasive refusal syndrome among asylum-seeking children
Liv Lyngå Von Folsach1, Edith Montgomery
1Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, Denmark. livlynga@hotmail.com
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|November 4, 2006
Summary
Depressive Devitalization, a syndrome in asylum-seeking children, shares similarities with Pervasive Refusal Syndrome. Both may be subgroups of a shared refusal syndrome, with potential factors including personality and trauma.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Psychological Medicine
- Social Psychiatry
Background:
- Asylum-seeking children in Sweden exhibit a syndrome of profound social withdrawal and functional loss, termed Depressive Devitalization.
- This condition presents a significant challenge in understanding its etiology and relationship to other psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify potential etiological factors contributing to Depressive Devitalization.
- To delineate similarities between Depressive Devitalization and Pervasive Refusal Syndrome.
- To explore and differentiate Depressive Devitalization from other potential diagnoses.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature study was conducted.
- Searches were performed across major databases: PsychINFO, Medline, PubMed, COCHRANE, and PILOTS.
- Analysis focused on identifying etiological factors, comparative symptomology, and differential diagnoses.
Main Results:
- Potential etiological factors include perfectionistic or conscientious premorbid personality, parental and child psychiatric issues, and exposure to traumatic events.
- Depressive Devitalization and Pervasive Refusal Syndrome show symptom overlap, differing mainly in refusal patterns and neurological signs.
- Existing differential diagnoses could not fully explain all observed features of Depressive Devitalization.
Conclusions:
- Depressive Devitalization and Pervasive Refusal Syndrome are proposed as potential subgroups within a broader refusal syndrome.
- Further research is needed to investigate the specific impact of individual etiological factors.
- The findings suggest a need for refined diagnostic criteria and understanding of these complex syndromes.
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