Several clinical psychologists have raised concerns over the effect ongoing lockdowns could have on the mental well-being of children detained at Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
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For over a week, detainees have been confined to their rooms for up to 23 hours a day as staff shortages continue to negatively impact the facility's management.
Lucy Wise of the Launceston Psychology Clinic said despite the state government being in a "tough position", the measures implemented were still "significant" and "devastating".
"This is an extremely punitive approach to behavioral management," she said.
"The impact this situation could have on the children's mental state is severe, and potentially long-term."
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Ms Wise said data from COVID-19 lockdowns indicated social isolation - even for short periods - decreased cognition and increased the likelihood of developing a range of mental illnesses.
"Poor emotional development and educational outcomes, depression and anxiety, suicide, self-harm, and fractured family relationships are just some of the issues that lockdowns could potentially cause," she said.
Launceston-based clinical psychologist Holly Guest said the situation at Ashley was more likely to exacerbate some of the child detainee's pre-existing mental health conditions.
"Generally populations comprising of detainees have a higher representation of mental health issues before they even go into that type of system," she said.
"I have no doubt that this particular environment - which would prove to even be distressing for fully-grown adults - will amplify those symptoms."
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Bass Labor candidate Michelle O'Byrne said Tasmanian Labor was worried for the welfare of the adolescents isolated at Ashley.
"The fact that we are not able to provide a safe environment at the facility without locking children down is quite disturbing," she said.
"We want to reduce recidivism, and ensure these young people can transition back into society, but torturing them won't do that."
The Health and Community Services Union's assistant state secretary Lucas Digney said the potentially negative effects the lockdowns could have on the child detainees' mental well-being was one of the main reasons HACSU served the Department of Communities with a provisional improvement notice last Monday.
"It was issued under the workplace health and safety act and is basically an abatement notice," he said
"That means the department now has a 14-day period to consult with health and safety representatives to come up with a plan ensuring all safety issues are resolved."
A Department of Communities spokesperson said they were working with staff and health and safety representatives at Ashley to address the issues and return the centre to normal operations.
"The Department is undertaking a range of activities to support the ongoing operations including providing support to the existing workforce, recruitment of new youth workers and obtaining assistance from other service areas with a workforce with similar expertise," they said.
"Psychological support through telehealth services have been made available to young people weekly."
The spokesperson said a psychiatrist also attended Ashley every month and was last at the centre on June 2.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff - who is also the mental health and wellbeing minister - and Roger Jaensch- the education, children, and youth minister- were asked if they were concerned about the mental health of child detainees at Ashley.
The duo both said the health and wellbeing of young Tasmanians was very important to them.
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