Women and Therapy
Volume 8, Issue 4, 1990, Pages 23-50

The psychological effects of war trauma and abuse on older cambodian refugee women (Article)

Rozée P.D. , Van Boemel G.
  • a California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
  • b University of California at Irvine in the Social Ecology Department, University of Southern California’s, Doheny Eye Institute, CA, United States

Abstract

The paper discusses the life experiences of a group of older women about whom little is known: Cambodian refugees. Interview data demonstrate the superiority of environmental stress theories over psychodynamic theory in explaining non-organic blindness among this population. Subjective visual acuity was significantly related to years of servitude/internment (including forced labor, starvation, physical and sexual abuse and execution of loved ones) in communist camps during and after the fall of Cambodia in 1975. Onset of visual loss following these traumas, preceded by healthy pre-trauma functioning, suggests environmental rather than intrapsychic etiology. Physical and psychological abuse of Cambdian women during and after the fall of Cambodia is examined in depth. Suggestions for culturally-relevant interventions are discussed. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0002648130&doi=10.1300%2fJ015v08n04_03&partnerID=40&md5=7a44e6d52123ec407e4d6bc14cf704e1
DOI: 10.1300/J015v08n04_03
ISSN: 02703149
Cited by: 34
Original Language: English