Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Volume 186, Issue 8, 1998, Pages 484-491

Relationship of child loss to psychiatric and functional impairment in resettled Cambodian refugees (Article)

Caspi Y.* , Poole C. , Mollica R.F. , Frankel M.
  • a Health and Addictions Research, Inc., Department of Public Health, 250 Washington St., Boston, MA 02108-4619, United States, Dept. of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States, Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • b Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States, Dept. of Epidemiol. and Biostatist., Boston University, School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • c Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • d Bernard Baruch College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States

Abstract

One hundred sixty eight respondents, recruited from a community of resettled Cambodian refugees in Massachusetts, were interviewed for a study of trauma, physical and emotional health, and functioning. Of the 161 respondents who have ever had any children, 70 parents (43%) reported the death of between one and six of their children. Child loss was positively associated with health-related concerns, a variety of somatic symptoms, and culture-bound conditions of emotional distress. No relationship was found with conventional psychiatric symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Parents whose children died were performing most routine dally activities and participating in social activities to a similar and even greater extent than were parents who did not lose children. Nevertheless, child loss was strongly associated with a perception of health-related limitation in both physical functioning and social activities. Further research on the prevalence of child loss and its impact on long-term adjustment in survivors of mass trauma is indicated.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Parents refugee bereavement Cambodia Massachusetts human Life Change Events Refugees middle aged Ethnic Groups controlled study health status Depressive Disorder Mental Disorders Cross-Sectional Studies Humans male female Personality Inventory Psychiatric Status Rating Scales prevalence emotional stress Article major clinical study adult Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic psychotrauma somatization child death social behavior
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0031851762&doi=10.1097%2f00005053-199808000-00006&partnerID=40&md5=fb4c9fd4e732d13ff91e1424b7daa214
DOI: 10.1097/00005053-199808000-00006
ISSN: 00223018
Cited by: 19
Original Language: English