Community Mental Health Journal
Volume 55, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 385-393

Trauma, Discrimination, and Psychological Distress Across Vietnamese Refugees and Immigrants: A Life Course Perspective (Article)

Kim I.* , Keovisai M. , Kim W. , Richards-Desai S. , Yalim A.C.
  • a School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, 685 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
  • b School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, 685 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
  • c School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, 685 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
  • d School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, 685 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
  • e School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, 685 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States

Abstract

Vietnamese Americans are a heterogeneous group with varied migration histories. The life course perspective (LCP) suggests that different migration histories (immigrant vs. refugee) may affect their psychological health. Using Vietnamese refugee (n = 291) and immigrant (n = 211) subsamples from the National Latino and Asian American Study, selected LCP factors relevant to foreign-born Vietnamese were examined for their associations with psychological distress. Two separate regressions were conducted to examine differential factors across the subgroups. Results showed that sex, age at immigration, and pre- and post-migration traumas were significant factors for refugees. Among immigrants, only racial discrimination was significant factor. The results suggest that applying LCP among Vietnamese Americans helps to discern factors associated with their psychological distress outcomes depending on their initial immigration status. The results also indicate that healthcare professionals should consider the migration background of foreign-born Vietnamese in screening for potential psychological issues, particularly around their trauma history and discriminatory experiences. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Author Keywords

immigrants Refugees Life course perspective Vietnamese Americans Psychological distress

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85044357170&doi=10.1007%2fs10597-018-0268-2&partnerID=40&md5=a036751374f6c8d46caec60d188f94a8
DOI: 10.1007/s10597-018-0268-2
ISSN: 00103853
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English