Suchergebnisse

AbstractMinimal research has simultaneously explored the premigration, displacement, and postmigration experiences of loneliness among older adults with a refugee history. Drawing from a constructivist grounded theory study guided by an intersectionality framework, this study aimed to explore the factors influencing loneliness in these three phases among Hmong older adults with a refugee background. Interviews were conducted with 17 Hmong older adults aged 65 and older residing in Northern California. Findings revealed the influencing factors emerging from systems of oppression grounded within the social, political, and cultural context of each phase. Influencing factors of loneliness were identified as betrayal, familial loss, instability, war violence, loss of social status, isolation, diminishing filial piety, language barrier, declining health, and lack of purpose. This study highlights the need for more research, practice, and policy focused on the context of the refugee experience to gain a greater insight into their loneliness experiences.

Summary As refugees of the war in Southeast Asia, Hmong experienced various traumatic events. Evidence suggests the persistence of psychiatric disorders related to trauma in refugees even after prolonged resettlement in their host country. This systematic review aimed to summarize the mental health literature on the Hmong population with a focus on cultural and social factors. The databases PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Social Services Abstracts, Web of Science, and PubMed were reviewed for peer-reviewed articles published up to April 2018. Forty articles were included in the final review. Findings Results highlight three primary themes: (1) mental health outcomes were associated with a variety of premigration and postmigration factors, (2) group and community-based treatment and interventions provided promising results, and (3) barriers to mental health care were primarily stigma, communication challenges, discrimination, and mental health literacy. The results of this systematic review shed light on the limited and small studies with the Hmong population. Applications Implications for social work and culture-sensitive research, practice, and policymaking for this population are discussed.

Abstract
Trauma exposure and postmigration stress are associated with adverse health outcomes among refugees, yet the relative effect of these factors for subgroups of refugees and those resettled long-term remains unclear. Drawing on life course theory, this study evaluated the associations between war trauma, postmigration stress, and health among Southeast Asian refugee women in the United States, and whether these patterns differ across the life span. A community sample of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugee women aged 30–72 years (N = 293) reported mental and physical health outcomes, conflict-based trauma exposure, and postmigration measures of discrimination and community violence. Both trauma exposure and discrimination were associated with mental and physical health problems, with the relative effect of each stressor varying across specific health outcomes; community violence was associated with poorer mental health. Age moderated the effect of trauma exposure across health outcomes, with stronger associations between trauma and health for older women in particular. Findings provide support for the influence of trauma exposure and the importance of postmigration stressors on health across the life span for refugees. Attending to age group differences in the effects of these stressors, and to subgroups such as women, has implications for interventions addressing the long-term health of refugee populations.