RESUMO
Trauma exposure and postmigration stress are associated with adverse health outcomes among refugees, yet the relative effect of these factors for subgroups of refugees and those resettled long-term remains unclear. Drawing on life course theory, this study evaluated the associations between war trauma, postmigration stress, and health among Southeast Asian refugee women in the United States, and whether these patterns differ across the life span. A community sample of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugee women aged 30-72 years (N = 293) reported mental and physical health outcomes, conflict-based trauma exposure, and postmigration measures of discrimination and community violence. Both trauma exposure and discrimination were associated with mental and physical health problems, with the relative effect of each stressor varying across specific health outcomes; community violence was associated with poorer mental health. Age moderated the effect of trauma exposure across health outcomes, with stronger associations between trauma and health for older women in particular. Findings provide support for the influence of trauma exposure and the importance of postmigration stressors on health across the life span for refugees. Attending to age group differences in the effects of these stressors, and to subgroups such as women, has implications for interventions addressing the long-term health of refugee populations.
RESUMO
Although a robust literature describes the intergenerational effects of traumatic experiences in various populations, evidence specific to refugee families is scattered and contains wide variations in approaches for examining intergenerational trauma. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, the purpose of this systematic review was to describe the methodologies and findings of peer-reviewed literature regarding intergenerational trauma in refugee families. In doing so we aimed to critically examine how existing literature characterizes refugee trauma, its long-term effects on descendants, and psychosocial processes of transmission in order to provide recommendations for future research. The results highlight populations upon which current evidence is based, conceptualizations of refugee trauma, effects of parental trauma transmission on descendants' health and well-being, and mechanisms of transmission and underlying meanings attributed to parental trauma in refugee families. Greater methodological rigor and consistency in future evidence-based research is needed to inform supportive systems that promote the health and well-being of refugees and their descendants.
