A comparative study of Vietnamese Amerasians, their non-Amerasian siblings, and unrelated, like-aged Vietnamese immigrants.
OBJECTIVE
The authors compared the personal histories, levels of psychological distress, and adaptation to American life of Vietnamese Amerasians (N=140), their non-Amerasian siblings (N=71), and a group of unrelated, like-aged Vietnamese immigrants (N=118).


METHODS
Subjects completed two self-administered symptom checklists and provided demographic and personal history data.


RESULTS
Vietnamese Amerasians differed significantly from the other two groups on measures of alcohol use, number of hospitalizations, years of education, childhood trauma, perceived effects of trauma, and score on the Vietnamese Depression Scale. The Amerasians did not, however, differ on measures of social support or in their success at adapting to life in the United States.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite multiple disadvantages, Vietnamese Amerasians appear to be adapting to life in the United States as well as other like-aged Vietnamese immigrants.
McKelvey
R S
RS
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Webb
J A
JA
D000069:Acculturation; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology