Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:561-563
Copyright © 1996 by American Psychiatric Association
A comparative study of Vietnamese Amerasians, their non-Amerasian siblings, and unrelated, like-aged Vietnamese immigrants
RS McKelvey and JA Webb
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The authors compared the personal histories, levels of
psychological distress, and adaptation to American life of Vietnamese
Amerasians (N=140), their non-Amerasian siblings (N=71), and a group of
unrelated, like-aged Vietnamese immigrants (N=118). METHOD: Subjects
completed two self-administered symptom checklists and provided demographic
and personal history data. RESULTS: Vietnamese Amerasians differed
significantly from the other two groups on measures of alcohol use, number
of hospitalizations, years of education, childhood trauma, perceived
effects of trauma, and score on the Vietnamese Depression Scale. The
Amerasians did not, however, differ on measures of social support or in
their success at adapting to life in the United States. CONCLUSIONS:
Despite multiple disadvantages, Vietnamese Amerasians appear to be adapting
to life in the United States as well as other like-aged Vietnamese
immigrants.
