Almost 90% of children brought from Nauru suffered physical health problems

Nearly nine in 10 children brought from offshore processing on Nauru to Australia were suffering physical health conditions, including malnutrition and dental disease, while almost 80% reported one or more mental health symptoms, new research has revealed.

There are no children left in offshore processing on Nauru, and the detention centre is empty: though it remains in abeyance, on standby for future arrivals by boat.

More than half of the children had been held on Nauru for more than four years.

For the study, researchers retrospectively analysed detailed health assessments of 62 children completed by paediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists from 10 health services across Australia.

The study showed physical health problems were present in 89% of children brought from the Nauru offshore processing regime, most commonly malnutrition (24%), dental disease (21%) and abdominal pain (16%).

The rates of physical and mental health conditions were comparable to previous studies of children exposed to immigration detention and far higher than in non-detained refugees or general Australian populations.

The study also found 94% of children and young people in the sample survey had exposure to one adverse childhood experience in their lifetime: 21% had been exposed to four or more ACEs.

Most of them, 63%, had witnessed trauma in their lifetime, and 40% had been exposed to abuse or neglect.

The policy of offshore processing and indefinite mandatory detention remains Australian government policy: future child asylum seekers who arrive by boat are potentially subject to indefinite offshore detention.

Amarasena said the researchers - from universities and health services across Australia - acknowledged the small sample size.