Reports on self-perceived depression and isolation among unaccompanied Southeast Asian refugee adolescents and discusses implications for counseling. Whether unaccompanied youth come to the United States to escape atrocities or to pursue educational opportunities, they often experience psychological problems as a result of separation from their reference group. This study involved 301 unaccompanied adolescent Southeast Asian refugees, primarily between the ages of 14 and 19, who had resettled in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The experiences of the study participants were underscored by family loss, difficulties in refugee camps, and generalized trauma. Inability to communicate in English inhibited acculturation and reinforced feelings of isolated. A majority of the youth reported experiencing mild to severe depression. Those adolescents who were not depressed also reported that they spent less time thinking about their homeland. Because many of the study participants reported the loss of significant others as well as depression, one recommendation is for counselors to provide group therapy, thereby enabling individuals with similar traumatic experiences to share in the recollected pain as well as in the healing process. In addition, Southeast Asian unaccompanied minors could benefit from participation in cultural interpretation groups that impart new coping skills.
