PMID- 23124912 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20131021 LR - 20211021 IS - 1435-165X (Electronic) IS - 1018-8827 (Linking) VI - 22 IP - 4 DP - 2013 Apr TI - Pervasive refusal syndrome among inpatient asylum-seeking children and adolescents: a follow-up study. PG - 251-8 LID - 10.1007/s00787-012-0341-2 [doi] AB - BACKGROUND: Pervasive refusal syndrome (PRS) is a rare but severe condition, characterised by social withdrawal and a pervasive active refusal in terms of eating, mobilisation, speech and personal hygiene. PRS has been proposed as a new diagnostic entity in child and adolescent psychiatry, although the diagnostic criteria are debated. In the past 10 years there has been an increase in PRS symptoms among asylum-seeking children and adolescents in Sweden. Here, we describe five cases of PRS among asylum-seeking children and adolescents. METHOD: Three females and 2 males, 7-17 years of age with the clinical picture of PRS, treated as inpatients at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Malmo, Sweden, 2002-2010, were analysed on the basis of their medical records. Subjects were diagnosed using previously suggested criteria for PRS. At follow-up, a semi-structured interview focusing on the inpatient stay and current status was performed. The subjects were assessed with Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and self-rating questionnaires regarding depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). RESULTS: The pattern of refusal varied among the five subjects. All subjects originated from former Soviet republics, indicating a possible cultural factor. Mean period of inpatient treatment was 5 months. All subjects received intense nursing and were treated with nasogastric tube feeding. Parents were involved and were given support and instructions. All subjects gradually improved after receiving permanent residency permits. Depression and PTSD were co-morbid states. At follow-up, 1-8 years after discharge, all subjects were recovered. CONCLUSION: Although a severe condition, our five cases suggest a good prognosis for PRS among asylum-seeking children and adolescents. FAU - Forslund, Carl-Magnus AU - Forslund CM AD - Open Care Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry Skane, Skane University Hospital, Cronqvists gata 124, 205 02, Malmo, Sweden. cm_forslund@hotmail.com FAU - Johansson, Bjorn Axel AU - Johansson BA LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20121103 PL - Germany TA - Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry JT - European child & adolescent psychiatry JID - 9212296 SB - IM MH - Adolescent MH - Child MH - Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/*diagnosis/psychology MH - Depressive Disorder/*diagnosis/psychology MH - Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood/*diagnosis/psychology MH - Female MH - Follow-Up Studies MH - Helplessness, Learned MH - Humans MH - Male MH - Refugees/*psychology MH - Sweden EDAT- 2012/11/06 06:00 MHDA- 2013/10/22 06:00 CRDT- 2012/11/06 06:00 PHST- 2012/06/15 00:00 [received] PHST- 2012/10/15 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2012/11/06 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2012/11/06 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2013/10/22 06:00 [medline] AID - 10.1007/s00787-012-0341-2 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013 Apr;22(4):251-8. doi: 10.1007/s00787-012-0341-2. Epub 2012 Nov 3.