"Race Related Illness in Vietnamese Refugees"

Abstract

The author worked for six weeks in September 1982, as a Medical Practitioner and Psychiatrist at the first Asylum Centre Puerto-Princessa, Palawan, Philippines. This paper relates relevant aspects of Mental Health needs of Vietnamese refugees related to racism, aftermath of war, leaving home-land without preparation, perilous escape, prolonged stay in cramped refugee camps, and move on to unsettled, unsure future in another country with alien culture and environment. Changes of life situation, loss of business, property or occupation, loss of loved ones, separation from friends, disruption of family relationships are related to racism and persecution elements in 'Boat People'. The most frequent psychiatric illnesses among the refugees are: depression, anxiety state, psychosomatic disease and psychosis. A special mental health project is needed to train health workers, provide service and consultation and to organising research activities. On the preventive aspects, primary prevention may be achieved by less stress on rapid assimilation and the reduced likelihood of discrimination, hostility and prejudice. Secondary prevention consists of early detection of the disease and early initiation of treatment and tertiary prevention consists of the elimination or reduction of residual disability after an illness.

Cultural Diversity from an International Perspective, Part 2

“…Again, language barriers may pose an almost insurmountable barrier to helping service professionals working with Indochinese refugees. The ev-idence of the effects of prolonged stress on the emotional well-being of Indochinese refugees has been documented by many researchers not only in the United States (Alley, 1982;Erickson & Hoang, 1980;Forbes & Lidsker, 1982;"Refugee Mental Health," 1983;Robinson, 1980;Wehrly, 1983) but also in Canada (Nguyen, 1982a(Nguyen, , 1982b, Australia and New Zealand (Boman & Edwards, 1984), the Philippines (Hussain, 1984), and other host countries that accepted these refugees. Much more is known about the physical well-being of the survivors of the Indochinese wars than about their mental well-being.…”

“…The perils and terrors of the "boat people" have been documented by television. Many of these refugees left their homes hurriedly and set forth in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats in which they risked drowning, dying of illness or deprivation, or encountering sea pirates who killed men and raped women (Hussain, 1984;Towbin, 1984). The numbers of refugees who lost their lives on the high seas is unknown; but it is estimated that only about one-half made it to the neighboring countries where they often faced rejection and mistreatment in their first asylum locations (Carlin, 1983;Muecke, 1983a).…”

The Relationship between Trauma and Financial and Physical Well-Being Among Cambodians in the United States

“…Yet when studying the effects of the traumas, researchers have focused on a relatively narrow range of effects: Historically, those studying trauma among Southeast Asian refugees have focused on the psychiatric effects of trauma (Beiser, 'hmer, & Ganesan, 1989; Hussain, 1984; Kinzie, Sack, Angell, Manson, & Rath, 1986; Lin, 1986; Rumbaut, 1985; Van Deusen, 1982). As Hussain (1984) noted, the effects of trauma may have wider implications, but little is known about the effects of trauma on nonpsychiatric forms of wellbeing.…”

Indochinese refugees in schools in the United States of America?Challenges and opportunities for counsellors

“…The evidence of negative effects of prolonged stress on the mental health of Indochinese refugees has been documented not only by U.S. authors (Alley, 1982;Boehnlein, 1987;Carlin, 1983;Kinzie, Sack, Angell, Manson & Rath, 1986;Mollica, Wychak & Lavelle, 1987; but also by authors in Canada (Beiser, 1988;Nguyen, 1982aNguyen, , 1982b, Australia (Boman & Edwards, 1984), and the Philippines (Hussaln, 1984). The need for expanded and ongoing psychological and psychiatric services resulting from the prolonged stress and trauma experienced by these refugee students and their families is discussed in the research reports from California, Illinois, San Diego, Minneapolis/St.…”