Mental Health Status of the Hmong Americans in 2011: Three Decades Revisited

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Hmong in America and encompasses their mental health status for the past 35 years. Since their mass arrival to the United States in 1975, limited research has been compiled to track the specific mental health issues that affect this collective community alone. Major chronological research findings were compiled for this article and specific findings concerning the Hmong and their mental health issues were compared to findings for other Southeast Asian groups. In conclusion, the findings of this article indicate that the Hmong still have higher rates of being diagnosed with depression, the lowest help-seeking behaviors in utilizing Western medicine, and the lowest arithmetic average of "happiness" scaled on an assessment tool. The purpose of this article is to better steer future research projects that entail tracking and differentiating the specific mental health domains of the Hmong.

Health Literacy and Associated Factors Among Hmong American Immigrants: Addressing the Health Disparities

“…However, they remain a critically underserved and under researched immigrant group within the Asian American community. This is concerning given the disproportionate number of health risks faced by the Hmong American community, such as the high prevalence of chronic conditions especially hepatitis B and cancer [2][3][4][5], as well as mental health concerns [6,7]. Several contributing factors to the health disparities among Hmong American immigrants are their low use of preventive care, high rejection of formal health services, and delayed help seeking of critical health services [8].…”

The High Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and Its Correlates With Older Hmong Refugees in the United States

“…Mental health is a challenging public health issue for Southeast Asians, who represent one of the most rapidly growing populations in the United States. (Hinton, Chhean, Pich, Hofmann, & Barlow, 2006; S. Lee & Chang, 2012).…”

Mental health among the Hmong population in the U.S.: A systematic review of the influence of cultural and social factors

“…The shift from rural and agricultural lifestyles in Laos to the urban communities in the United States has been a drastic change for Hmong refugees (Lee & Chang, 2012). There is evidence that cultural and social factors in the postmigration period, such as English language ability and acculturation stress, may have isolated Hmong refugees from their new communities, resulting in depression and anxiety (Foss et al, 2004;Nicholson, 1997).…”