FACTORS AFFECTING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WITHIN THE HMONG REFUGEE COMMUNITY (ACCULTURATION, SOUTHEAST ASIA)
Author(s):
Cappelletty, Gordon Guy, Ii
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : California School of Professional Psychology - Fresno, 1986.
Pages:
203
Language:
English
Abstract:
Since 1975, North America has received over half a million refugees from Southeast Asia, among which are the Hmong people, a minority group originating in China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The Hmong experienced difficulty adjusting to a modern industrialized society. This study focused on the need for information about the manner in which the Hmong express psychological distress and the variables which are influential in determining adaptation. A preliminary study investigated the manner in which psychological distress was expressed by Hmong people by developing a questionnaire to measure psychological distress and mental illness. The findings suggested that there are three principal ways in which psychological distress is expressed by the Hmong people: (a) hostility, (b) depression, and (c) anxiety/tension. A second sample was used to determine the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Two-week test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from .745 to .877. Estimates of internal consistency ranged from a low of .477 to a high of .826. Correlations between the scales and clinicians' ratings of distress were conducted and established the validity of the scales. In order to investigate the overlap among the four sets of variables, four canonical correlations were utilized with a sample of 194 subjects. The results suggested that there are three processes influencing psychological distress in the Hmong community: the first process, learned helplessness; the second process, family influences; the final process, Americanization. Based on acculturation scale scores, 136 subjects from the final sample were classified into four groups. These four groups were labeled bicultural, traditional, Americanized, and alienated. The discriminant function analysis suggested that the bicultural group experienced more anxiety and family problems than the other groups; however, on the whole, bicultural individuals are less distressed than the other groups. The alienated individuals expressed the highest levels of distress. Ultimately it is suggested that specific interventions in the Hmong community can promote acculturation while simultaneously reducing psychological distress.