Nearly one in two incarcerated children in South Australia have been prescribed a supplement to help them fall asleep, amid concerns about 'unusual' night-time behaviours.
Young people at Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre were given melatonin, SA Health data showed.SA Health data shows 44 per cent of children detained at Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre were prescribed melatonin.
Kurlana Tapa is SA's only youth prison, housing children aged 10 and older who are sentenced or remanded to detention.In a submission to the inquiry, a South Australian nurse wrote that a "large proportion" of children at the centre were prescribed melatonin due to poor sleep. She wrote that poor sleep during incarceration could be caused by a lack of exposure to natural sunlight, limited activities of physical exercise, increased stress and a change in normal environment.Children engaging in 'unusual behaviours' due to poor sleepShona Reid has previously raised concerns about poor sleep among SA's youth detainees.
"I am aware of the common use of a number of prescribed medications for children and young people at the Adelaide Youth Training Centre," she said. "Also, they don't have the same ability to exercise, the same exposure to normal light, and also they are just under a huge amount of stress."ABC News: Ashlin BlieschkeA spokesperson from the Department for Human Services, which operates Kurlana Tapa, said young people at the centre had "structured routines each day", including regular education classes and programs, planned outdoor activities and access to a gym and swimming pool.
Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre Melatonin Sleep Supplement Youth Detainees Therapeutic Goods Administration TGA Youth Justice Sleep Issues Metropolitan Youth Health SA Health Incarceration Shona Reid Australian Medical Association AMA John Williams Department For Human Services Sarah Blunden Autism ADHD Smith-Magenis Syndrome MYH
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
I went on a $5000 sleep retreat. This is what I took home to bedWhat does one actually do on a sleep retreat besides, well, sleep?
Read more »
Next up on the wellness agenda, sleep – and the sleep retreatPlus: get ready for the weekend with these fresh diversions.
Read more »
The best headphones ultimate sleep companion for side sleepers: Soundcore Sleep7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Next up on the wellness agenda, sleep – and the sleep retreatPlus: get ready for the weekend with these fresh diversions.
Read more »
Connor McKinney shoots the first 59 in Australia for nearly 20 yearsYoung West Australian Connor McKinney has shot the first 59 in Australia in nearly 20 years, tearing up the Warragul Country Club to storm into contention in the second round of the Challenger Tour's Gippsland Super 6.
Read more »
BYD Shark 6 PHEV Ute Orders Surge to Nearly 4000 in AustraliaBYD's Australian distributor, EVDirect, reports close to 4000 orders for the new Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute. Customers can register for test-drives, with the first fleet arriving in December 2024 and customer deliveries starting in January 2025.
Read more »