Burmese political dissidents in Thailand: trauma and survival among young adults in exile.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the self-reported mental health, physical health, and social functioning of young adult political exiles and relates their psychiatric symptoms to their trauma and survival strategies.


METHODS
A 1992/93 survey of Burmese who fled to Bangkok, Thailand, after participating in a 1988 uprising against Burma's government elicited information on employment, education, disability, trauma, survival strategies, and depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms.


RESULTS
The 104 participants reported a mean of 30 trauma events, including interrogation (89%), imprisonment (78%), threats of deportation (70%), and torture (38%). Many reported poor health and lack of social supports, but few reported substantial social disability. The prevalence of elevated symptom scores was 38% for depressive symptoms and 23% for criterion symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Symptoms of avoidance and of increased arousal were the most strongly related to cumulative trauma. Two survival strategies, camaraderie and a Buddhist concept of self-confidence (weria), were associated with somewhat reduced levels of both classes of symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Burmese political exiles in Thailand are young adults adversely affected by severe trauma. Their psychosocial well-being may deteriorate further without legal protections to reduce the continuing stress and violence.
Allden
K
K
Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Cambridge, Mass 02138, USA.
Poole
C
C
Chantavanich
S
S
Ohmar
K
K
Aung
N N
NN
Mollica
R F
RF
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D002052:Myanmar / Q000208:ethnology; D011057:Politics; D012036:Refugees; D012944:Social Support; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology