Examines the psychological functioning of 2 groups of Afghan refugees living in the United States. The groups came from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and had different war-time experiences: Tajik families were wealthier, more likely to speak English, and less religious than Pashtun families; and Pashtun families spent more time in Afghanistan during the war than the Tajik families. For the study, parents were interviewed using the Harvard Traumatic Questionnaire (HTQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL). Among the findings were that: (1) Pashtun mothers scored higher than Tajik mothers on the BDI and HSCL scales; (2) Pashtun youngsters had higher HTQ scores than their Tajik counterparts; (3) BDI scores significantly correlated with such factors as whether English was spoken at home, financial situation, and time spent in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and (4) mothers’ depression was associated with both war experiences and current difficulties adjusting to life in the U.S. Researchers concluded that ethnicity and socioeconomic status played a role in the study findings. The study also revealed that Pashtun youngsters and their mothers were most susceptible to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and therefore in need of mental health services.
