British Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 194, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 326-333

International and indigenous diagnoses of mental disorder among Vietnamese living in Vietnam and Australia (Article) (Open Access)

Steel Z.* , Silove D. , Giao N.M. , Phan T.T.B. , Chey T. , Whelan A. , Bauman A. , Bryant R.A.
  • a Centre for Population Mental Health Research and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia, Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Mental Health Centre, Liverpool Hospital, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, Liverpool NSW 2170, Australia
  • b Centre for Population Mental Health Research and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • c Department of Psychiatry, Cân Tho University, Viet Nam
  • d Centre for Population Mental Health Research and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • e Centre for Population Mental Health Research and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • f School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • g School of Public Health, Sydney University, Australia
  • h MPsychol, University of New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Background Whether the prevalence rates of common mental disorders can be compared across countries depends on the cultural validity of the diagnostic measures used. Aims To investigate the prevalence of Western and indigenously defined mental disorders among Vietnamese living in Vietnam and in Australia, comparing the data with an Australian-born sample. Method Comparative analysis of three multistage population surveys, including samples drawn from a community living in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam (n=3039), Vietnamese immigrants residing in New South Wales, Australia (n=1161), and an Australian-born population (n=7961). Western-defined mental disorders were assessed by the composite International Diagnostic Interview (ClDl) 2.0 and included DSM-IV anxiety, mood and substance use disorders as well as the ICD-10 category of neurasthenia. The Vietnamese surveys also applied the indigenously based Phan Vietnamese Psychiatric Scale (PVPS). Functional impairment and service use were assessed. Results The prevalence of ClDl mental disorders for Mekong Delta Vietnamese was 1.8% compared with 6.1% for Australian Vietnamese and 16.7% for Australians, inclusion of PVPS mental disorders increased the prevalence rates to 8.8% for Mekong Delta Vietnamese and 11.7% for Australian Vietnamese. Concordance was moderate to good between the ClDl and the PVPS for Australian Vietnamese (area under the curve (AUC)=0.77) but low for Mekong Vietnamese (AUC=0.59). PVPS- and ClDl-defined mental disorders were associated with similar levels of functional impairment. conclusions Cultural factors in the expression of mental distress may influence the prevalence rates of mental disorders reported across countries. The findings have implications for assessing mental health needs at an international level.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Vietnam mood disorder immigrant depression anxiety disorder Australia indigenous people Neurasthenia human Refugees middle aged controlled study Substance-Related Disorders Aged substance abuse diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Mental Disorders mental disease Young Adult Humans Cross-Cultural Comparison Adolescent male female Aged, 80 and over Viet Nam Socioeconomic Factors Psychiatric Status Rating Scales New South Wales prevalence Community Mental Health Services Article health care utilization functional disease major clinical study adult community living somatization Disability Evaluation area under the curve
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-64149087903&doi=10.1192%2fbjp.bp.108.050906&partnerID=40&md5=b957d107823d9cd1ffd8e6d603953ce9
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.050906
ISSN: 00071250
Cited by: 38
Original Language: English