A Community-Defined Approach to Address Trauma Among Cambodian Immigrants and Refugees

Asian American and Pacific Islanders are one of the fastest growing and most diverse groups in the United States. Yet, they are often aggregated as a single group, masking within-group differences in rates of disease and demographic characteristics commonly associated with elevated health risk. Whil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Health promotion practice Vol. 25; no. 6; pp. 1040 - 1048
Main Authors:	Sabado, Parichart, Kuoch, Kimthai, Sngiem, Susana, Peong, Vattana, Chan, Ladine, Hopson, Chan, Veng, Tongratha, Colfax, Gary, Tham, Lavyn, Sen-Matthews, Amina, Ung, Virak, Tieng, Pearun, Siphan, Crystal, Dance, Jessica, Chang, Kyle, Doxey, Jasmine, Wood, Jefferson, D’Anna, Laura
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-11-2024 SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects:	Adult Asian Asian Americans California Cambodia - ethnology Case management Community Demography Emigrants and Immigrants Female Genocide Health disparities Health Promotion - organization & administration Health status Humans Immigrants Long term Male Masking Mental disorders Mental Health Middle Aged Post traumatic stress disorder Prevention programs Program Evaluation Psychological trauma Public health Refugees Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - ethnology Symptoms Workshops Cambodia California United States > US trauma community-based interventions trauma-informed mental health mental health disparities community-defined interventions refugee and immigrant health
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Summary:	Asian American and Pacific Islanders are one of the fastest growing and most diverse groups in the United States. Yet, they are often aggregated as a single group, masking within-group differences in rates of disease and demographic characteristics commonly associated with elevated health risk. While more than four decades have passed since the Khmer Rouge genocide, Cambodians continue to experience trauma-related psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression. Funded by the California Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity, the Community Wellness Program (CWP) aimed to reduce mental health disparities among Cambodians in Long Beach and Santa Ana, California, using community-defined approaches. The 6-month program comprised community outreach, educational workshops, strengths-based case management, and social and spiritual activities. Our study aimed to examine the effects of the CWP on trauma symptoms. Program evaluation followed an incomplete stepped wedge waitlist design with two study arms. A linear mixed models analysis revealed that participants reported fewer trauma symptoms as a result of participation in the CWP and that participants experienced fewer symptoms over time. This is an especially important finding, as trauma can lead to long-term individual health effects and to social and health repercussions on an entire cultural group by way of intergenerational trauma. As the number of refugees and displaced individuals continues to grow, there is an urgent need for programs such as the CWP to prevent the lasting effects of trauma.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1524-8399 1552-6372
DOI:	10.1177/15248399231184450