Innovative Mental Health Services for Indo-Chinese Pefugees in the United States

Abstract

The research literature reveals that experiences involving the sudden uprooting and migration of populations have been accompanied by extreme and often lingering physical, psychosomatic and social stress. It may be expected, therefore, that the Indo-chinese who have settled in the United States face a broad range of both acute and chronic problems of identification and adjustment. Whether forced or voluntary, the precipitous departure from home and homeland has evoked anxiety and insecurity inherent in the new and unknown. The sense of isolation and abandonment felt by many Indo-chinese are exacerbated in the face of the unpredictable avalanche of social, vocational and economic problems. Apathy, depression, disappointment, anger and other psychological aspects of stress can be experienced along with a range of psychosomatic com-plaints. The Indo-chinese Immigration and Refugees Assistance Act of 1975 created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare’s Task Force for Indo-chinese Refugees. For the Federal fiscal year ended September 30, 1980, the national government appropriated $516,900,000 to care for refugees who arrived. To bring refugees into the United States the cost was $207,295,275 in that year. In the comments which follow, a brief description is given of the current status of the refugees, and of a variety of new projects and programs which have been established to serve the refugees. In the U.S. the national government pays 100% of resettlement costs for up to three years. From 1975 to 1980,415,225 Indo-chinese refugees were admitted to the U.S.