A comparison of refugees using and not using a psychiatric service: An analysis of DSM-III criteria and self-rating scales in cross-cultural context
Author(s):
Westermeyer, Joseph; Vang, Tou F.; Neider, John
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Journal Of Operational Psychiatry, Volume 14, Issue 1 (1983). pp. 36-41.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Identified and collected data from all Hmong refugees in Minnesota and informed them of available psychiatric services. 97 16+ yr olds were administered the Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Symptom Checklist-90. Ss were also classified according to DSM-III criteria; 17 patients were identified. As anticipated, the most common clinical symptom involved depression, though the severity was greater than expected. The self-rating scales demonstrated that severe symptoms of some duration were present among the patients prior to their seeking care. Findings also indicate that the psychosocial stressors experienced by psychiatric patients, while considerable, were not appreciably different from those experienced by the entire group. It is suggested that the 1-yr incidence of psychiatric disorder was related to the severity of psychosocial stressors experienced by the patient group and the high level of symptoms experienced by the entire group. Also noted is the "reverberation phenomenon" in which patients commonly showed major signs of one syndrome and minor signs of one or several other syndromes. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)