Psychiatric symptoms in refugee families from South East Asia: therapeutic challenges

Article Abstract:

The effects of the Vietnam War are still being felt nearly 15 years after the fall of Saigon. Almost 130,000 Vietnamese refugees have immigrated to Canada in the intervening years. The combined effects of war, escape, internment in refugee camps, and the problems of social adjustment to a new language and culture have resulted in a number of stress-induced psychiatric problems. Refugees frequently suffer from depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Yet because of their cultural attitudes towards mental illness, many are reluctant to take advantage of mental health services. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the stresses experienced by Vietnamese refugees. Proper care of psychiatrically disturbed refugees involves careful assessment of personal and family history and arrangement of support systems in the host country that include people from their ethnic group.

Psychological aspects, Demographic aspects, Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Refugees, Vietnamese, Vietnamese refugees, Refugee camps, Boat people

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The dysphorimeter: an objective analogue for the assessment of depression, anxiety, pain, and other dysphoric states

Article Abstract:

The dysphorimeter is a new device for indicating levels of depression or anxiety in depressed psychiatric patients. The apparatus is essentially a tube on a base plate, with a vertical slot along which a selector slide can be moved. As the slide is moved up a scale, it makes increasingly unpleasant sounds. The patient is asked to assess his or her own mood by correlating it with the appropriate degree of unpleasantness of sound made by the device. Because it does not rely upon verbal responses for its ability to gauge mental state, the dysphorimeter has the advantage of working well with patients who are having trouble communicating. In addition, the device is responsive to sudden mood shifts. With both schizophrenics and normal (non-psychotic) subjects, the dysphorimeter was shown to be reliable and to accurately discriminate among psychic states.

Measurement, Medical examination, Anxiety, Psychotherapy patients, Mood (Psychology)

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Cognitive behavioral therapy of depression: theory, treatment, and empirical status

Article Abstract:

The cognitive behavior therapy of depression is examined with a focus on theory, treatment, and effectiveness. Topics include cognitive theories of depression, cognitive behavior therapy of depression, the therapy's efficacy, and future directions for research.

Cognitive therapy

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