Migrant children separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border showed increased signs of PTSD, according to government watchdog report obtained by AP.
FILE- In this Feb. 19, 2019 file photo, children line up to enter a tent at the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children in Homestead, Fla. Migrant children who were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border last year suffered post-traumatic stress and other serious mental health problems, according to an internal watchdog report obtained by The Associated Press Wednesday. The chaotic reunification process only added to their trauma.
The separations have been widely criticized, and children’s health advocates have said the kids likely suffered trauma. A second report by the watchdog, also released Wednesday, found that thousands of childcare workers were given direct access to migrant children before completing required background and fingerprint checks.
“You get a lot of ‘my chest hurts,’ even though everything is fine . Children describe symptoms — ‘Every heartbeat hurts,’ ‘I can’t feel my heart’ — of emotional pain,” a clinician told investigators. The watchdog said the longer children were in custody, the more their mental health deteriorated, and it recommended minimizing that time. It also suggested the creation of better mental health care options and the hiring of more trained staff.
She said that efforts were made to bring in more medical health professionals, but “adverse media coverage and negative public perception ... have hampered efforts to expand.” At a minimum, each child in government custody is to receive one counseling session per week, plus two group sessions to discuss issues.
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