Catastrophic stress and factors affecting its consequences among Southeast Asian refugees

Effects on mental health of the stress of being interned in a refugee camp were assessed in a community survey of 1348 Southeast Asians. The impact on depressive mood proved significant but short-lived. Social support derived from the ethnic community and from an intact marriage moderated the risk of developing depressive symptoms, apparently by enhancing a sense of identity and belongingness. A psychological coping mechanism--avoidance of the past--buffered the impact of camp stress on depressive symptoms. While refugees brought into the country under private sponsorship were expected to have a mental health advantage compared to those admitted under government sponsorship, this hypothesis was not confirmed. Private sponsorship, carried out by individuals or groups whose religion differed from the refugees they were supporting, acted as a source of stress.