In 1978 the authors established a weekly psychiatric clinic for
Indochinese refugees. During the first 20 months, 50 patients were
evaluated and treated at the clinic; a Vietnamese psychiatric resident and
several native Indochinese mental health counselors bridged the language
and cultural barriers between patients and clinic personnel. Most of the
patients seen at the beginning of the program were psychotic and severely
impaired. However, patients seen later suffered from a wider variety of
problems. A flexible approach to treatment was adopted that would be
compatible with the cultural expectations of the refugees. This resulted in
the use of different forms of therapy and special emphasis on the medical
approach of the physician, a role familiar to Indochinese patients.
Gradually the clinic gained acceptance by members of the local refugee
community.Abstract Teaser