ABSTRACT

Objectives

Most Vietnamese immigrants in the U.S. today arrived as political refugees due to the Vietnam War in the late 20^th century. Refugees are disproportionally affected by health and mental health disparities as a result of experiencing distress and potentially traumatic experiences before, during, and after their migration processes. This study involved Vietnamese families facing dementia and used a qualitative approach to investigate participants’ experiences before, during, and right after their resettlement in the U.S.

Methods

In-person interviews were conducted with 11 Vietnamese adults who cared for their family member with dementia. A descriptive analysis approach was used.

Results

Five major themes emerged from the interviews:1) immigrating separately from family members, 2) difficult and unsafe journeys, 3) experiences of loss, 4) lack of support systems in the U.S., and 5) feelings of unhappiness, sadness, or signs of depression.

Conclusions

This study provides a close examination of Vietnamese refugees’ unique backgrounds and how individuals with dementia and their caregivers from this population may be disproportionally impacted by stress.

Clinical Implications

To reduce health disparities, we recommend that providers and policymakers allocate more resources for culturally appropriate routine assessment, treatment, and referrals of those with dementia and their caregivers.

中文翻译：

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战争和重新安置对面临痴呆症的越南家庭的影响：定性研究

摘要

目标

^{如今，由于 20世纪末}的越南战争，大多数越南移民作为政治难民来到美国。由于在移民过程之前、期间和之后经历了痛苦和潜在的创伤经历，难民受到健康和心理健康差异的影响尤为严重。这项研究涉及面临痴呆症的越南家庭，并采用定性方法调查参与者在美国重新定居之前、期间和之后的经历

方法

对 11 名照顾患有痴呆症的家人的越南成年人进行了面对面采访。使用描述性分析方法。

结果

采访中出现了五个主要主题：1）与家人分开移民，2）艰难且不安全的旅程，3）失去亲人的经历，4）美国缺乏支持系统，以及5）不快乐、悲伤或迹象的感觉抑郁症。

结论

这项研究仔细研究了越南难民的独特背景，以及该人群中的痴呆症患者及其照顾者如何受到压力的不成比例的影响。

临床意义

为了减少健康差异，我们建议医疗服务提供者和政策制定者分配更多资源，对痴呆症患者及其护理人员进行适合文化的常规评估、治疗和转诊。