Problems of Southeast Asian children in a refugee camp

Abstract

The authors describe the efforts made to meet the mental health needs of Vietnamese children and their families in a large refugee camp. Many of the children received strong emotional support from the multigenerational Vietnamese families, and they adapted well to the new environment. However, children separated from their families demonstrated increased emotional vulnerability, and foster placement of children without families presented a serious problem. The authors suggest that our national commitment to these refugees may have ended when they left the confines of the refugee camp.