title: Characteristics of Vietnamese patients attending an anxiety clinic in Australia and perceptions of the wider Vietnamese community about anxiety.
abstract: This article examined the causes underlying low utilization of mental health services by Vietnamese immigrants in Australia. Study 1 examined cases of Vietnamese patients who had attended an anxiety disorders clinic, while Study 2 surveyed Vietnamese people in the community on their knowledge and attitudes towards common mental problems. Results from Study 1 showed that Vietnamese patients had significantly higher attrition rates, and presented with a larger number of nonanxiety disorders than their Australian-born counterparts. Study 2 results indicated that many Vietnamese people did not differentiate clearly between the terms 'stress', 'anxiety' and 'depression'. Additionally, many participants felt that there was a generally negative cultural attitude towards people suffering from these problems and the mental health system itself. These outcomes suggest the importance of education for ethnic communities regarding available mental health facilities and treatments offered, as well as specific information on mental illness to help remove stigma.
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales Australia. r.wagner@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Vijaya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manicavasagar
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silove
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marnane
authors.forename: Viet Thang
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology