Effects of Mental Health Among Vietnamese Americans
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.1985Keywords:
Vietnamese Americans, Mental Health, Intergenerational TraumaAbstract
The Vietnamese American community is at risk for many mental health issues. Many Vietnamese Americans immigrated to the United States as a result of the Vietnam War, putting them at risk for war-related and immigrational trauma. This exposure to trauma can be intergenerationally transmitted, whether it be epigenetically or through affected family dynamics. However, research on this community has been minimal, and mental health within this community is not often discussed, allowing for mental health issues among this ethnic group to fester. With this in mind, we asked the following questions: What are the long-term effects of traumatic experiences on the brain, primarily among Vietnamese American immigrants and refugees, and how do these traumatic experiences affect following generations? We searched two databases for articles related to Vietnamese American mental health and trauma, as well as war-related, immigrational, and intergenerational trauma. After being screened with inclusion criteria, 12 articles were included. In these articles, we found that, although mental health issues are prominent in this community, mental health resources are underutilized. This is the result of cultural stigmas surrounding the idea of mental health, as well as a lack of understanding regarding mental health issues. Members of this community are reluctant to discuss their issues and seek help, resulting in many not getting the help they need. This has led to the continual rise of mental health issues within this ethnic group. Thus, it is important to raise awareness in order to combat the stigma of mental health in this community and lower the rise of mental health issues.
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