ABSTRACT
The focus of this study was to examine gender differences in levels and predictors of psychological distress in a community sample of Southeast Asian refugees. Although previous studies with clinical samples of Southeast Asian refugees have found gender differences in the degree of psychological distress, the few community-based studies have been inconclusive. This community study found that there were gender differences in the predictors of distress and that refugee women reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress than their male counterparts. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Refugees/statistics & numerical data , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Asia, Southeastern/ethnology , California/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Life Change Events , Male , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Neurasthenia/diagnosis , Neurasthenia/epidemiology , Refugees/psychology , Risk Factors , Sex Factors , Social Adjustment , Social Support , Stress, Psychological/diagnosis , Stress, Psychological/epidemiologyABSTRACT
It has been established in the general population that there is a relationship between welfare status and psychological well-being. There are few studies, however, which investigate the effects of welfare dependency on Southeast Asian refugees, a population that is highly dependent on welfare. This study examined the relationship between welfare status and psychological well-being among Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong refugees. The study compared three welfare groups: those who have never been on welfare, those who were once dependent on welfare and are no longer on welfare, and those who are still welfare-dependent. The results supported three hypotheses: a) a high percentage of all four refugee groups were still dependent on welfare even after being in the United States for an average of 5 to 6 years, b) a significant relationship was found between welfare dependency and psychological distress, and c) dependence on welfare had long-term effects for all four groups. An interesting finding that emerged for the Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians was that individuals who were once on welfare but who are no longer receiving welfare benefits are at similar risk as their counterparts who are currently on welfare of developing psychological distress. The findings therefore showed that for this population, if individuals had been touched by welfare at any period in their lives, they were at risk of developing psychological distress. There was an unexpected different finding for the Hmong; individuals who were no longer on welfare were more at risk than those who continued to receive or never had received welfare. Reasons for the intergroup differences and why refugees tended to stay on welfare longer than the general population were explored, along with a discussion about the implications of the findings for refugee policy.
Subject(s)
Public Assistance/statistics & numerical data , Refugees/statistics & numerical data , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Asia, Southeastern/ethnology , Cambodia/ethnology , Family Characteristics , Female , Humans , Laos/ethnology , Male , Middle Aged , Poverty , Refugees/psychology , Risk Factors , Stress, Psychological/diagnosis , Unemployment , United States , Vietnam/ethnologyABSTRACT
PIP: This paper presents a case study of Tu, a Cambodian man who came to the US as an unaccompanied war refugee when he was 15 years old after experiencing severe trauma. Tu was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and underwent 2.5 years of therapy with a clinical consultant. At this point, Tu became somewhat acculturated and resolved but found the process of self-evaluation too painful to continue. The therapist moved away and lost track of Tu for 7 years until contacted by his current therapist for a conference because Tu's period of adjustment had ended and his serious mental health problems were causing problematic deviant behavior. Initial therapy had allowed Tu to replace aggressive behavior with a moderate depression caused by his inability to adjust to life in the US. During the 4 years between therapists, Tu moved from place to place and experienced increasingly severe problems, including arrests. The success of the early therapy was achieved by establishing a climate of trust and safety with a therapist who understood Tu's cultural background and allowed Tu to control the pace of therapy. Non-Western interventions, such as using Tu's Cambodian caseworker as a partner in the healing process and enlisting the aid of a Buddhist monk also proved of value. Tu's continuing difficulties occurred because his therapeutic sessions ended before he could achieve the developmental stage that would have allowed him to believe that his new world was safe and, perhaps, because his new therapist was a woman (as was the head of his foster home). Understanding of cultural issues, including the gender roles of women in patriarchal Cambodia, may have helped Tu's counselors succeed in providing the ongoing support needed by all patients suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.^ieng
