This article describes several markers of successful aging for Vietnamese women. These studies suggest that feelings of control have important implications for life satisfaction and mental health of female Vietnamese refugees. Adequate satisfaction with social relationships is a key contributor to successful aging and mental health of elderly Vietnamese refugees who are female. The article concludes by discussing ways in which mental health and health care professionals can assist female elderly refugees cope with family crisis, adaptation, and acculturation issues because they are at highest risk now and into the future. Key issues were: cultural values surrounding age and gender norms, differential rates of acculturation across generations in the family, cross-cultural differences in mental health and their therapeutic implications. © 1992 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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