Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 14, 2008). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-235).

published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

The role that culture and trauma plays in shaping mental health outcomes continues to dominate debate in the field of transcultural and post-conflict mental health. The broad aim of this thesis is to investigate key issues relevant to these two factors in relation to the Vietnamese. A meta-analysis of international epidemiological research indicated that countries of North and South East Asia appear to manifest low rates of mental disorder compared to English-speaking countries. A meta-regression analysis of research undertaken specifically with refugee and conflict-affected populations, confirmed a robust association between torture and general trauma and risk to mental disorder. The thesis then examines data from three population-based mental health surveys: 1,161 Vietnamese-Australian residents in the state of New South Wales; 3,039 Vietnamese resident in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam; and 7,961 Australian-born persons drawn from a national survey. All surveys applied the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, with the Vietnamese surveys also applying the Phan Vietnamese Psychiatric Rating Scale, an indigenously-derived measure of mental disorder. The ICD-10 classification system yielded lowest rates amongst Vietnamese in the Mekong Delta, intermediate amongst Vietnamese in NSW; and highest rates amongst the Australian-born population. The Phan Vietnamese Psychiatric Rating Scale added a substantial number of cases in both Vietnamese samples. The findings suggest that sole reliance on a western-derived measure of mental disorder may fail to identify a cases of mental disorder across cultures. Trauma remained a substantial risk factor for mental disorder amongst Australian Vietnamese accounting for a substantial portion of the total burden of mental disorder in that population. The implications of these findings in developing a more refined model for understanding the mental health consequences of mass trauma across cultures are discussed.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2005. / "A thesis submitted to the School of Humanities and Languages of the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Humanities and Languages, in fulfillment for the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, December 2005." Includes bibliographical references and appendices.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves. 221-235).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Also available in print.

Traditionally, the Vietnamese culture demands strong conservative values where individuals are expected to practice abstinence before marriage and faithfulness afterwards. Thus, the topic of sex is not widely discussed in Vietnamese families amongst parents and children. As a result, men and women who have never been to an American school will not have received up-to-date sexual health education. In addition, low acculturation levels could be preventing some Vietnamese men and women from accessing the educational and medical resources available to them. Vietnamese immigrants living in Central Florida could, therefore, be at higher risk for HIV/STI's. My research indicated several noteworthy patterns. Individuals who lived in the United States longer were able to name more types of STIs in existence. In addition, those who were slightly more acculturated were more likely to have tested themselves for STIs. These findings indicated that further research on Vietnamese immigrant is needed to explain these correlations and, hopefully, eliminate them with education specifically tailored for Vietnamese immigrants.