Examines the psychological adjustment of Vietnamese refugees in terms of acculturation, social support, and psychological distress. Study subjects were 358 Vietnamese students from 12 colleges in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. The study sample was divided into 2 groups, each roughly half men and half women: those who had arrived before 1976 (first wave) and those who had arrived after 1979 (second wave). The survey instruments consisted of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-21, a revised version of the Suinn-Lew Self Identify and Acculturation Scale, and the Social Support Questionnaire. Among the key findings were that: the second wave of Vietnamese students reported more psychological distress than did the first wave; the first wave reported greater acculturation and satisfaction with their social support than did the second wave; and women reported greater acculturation than did men. One possible explanation for the differences between the two waves is that the second group arrived in the United States as older children, when acculturation to language and culture is more difficult. Mental health professionals need to balance past history and present psychological adjustment to ensure the resolution of premigration trauma. Working with families and groups, not individuals in isolation, also is essential.
