Psychosocial adjustment of Hmong refugees during their first decade in the United States: A longitudinal study
Author(s):
Westermeyer, Joseph; Neider, John; Callies, Allan
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Journal Of Nervous And Mental Disease, Volume 177, Issue 3 (1989-03). pp. 132-139.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Over their 1st decade in the US, 100 Hmong refugees (aged 16+ yrs) were studied on 3 occasions. Data included demographic characteristics, acculturation skills, traditional affiliations and pastimes, material acquisitions, psychosocial problems, and self-rating scales. Changes demonstrated considerable evidence of acculturation, psychiatric care seeking, and greatly reduced symptom levels for several symptom complexes. However, a large minority of Ss remained illiterate, generally involved with other Hmong but not with the majority society, and/or had high symptom levels on self-rating scales. Depression, somatization, phobia, and self-esteem symptoms improved the most with time and acculturation; anxiety, hostility, and paranoid symptoms changed little. Strong traditional ties (e.g., large household size, being an herbal healer), older age, marital problems, and medical complaints were most associated with high symptom levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)