EFFECTS OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEE WIVES ON THEIR FAMILY ROLES AND MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

The study investigated changing family roles among the first wave of Vietnamese families. Using employment as an independent variable, the study examined the major question: What effect does the employment of Vietnamese refugee wives have on their own mental health and on family roles? The study was conducted in 1979 in Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; and New Orleans, Louisiana; on 73 Vietnamese wives who had resided three or four years in the U.S. with their Vietnamese refugee husbands and families. A single interview, of about one hour, based on a structured questionnaire was conducted in the Vietnamese language by a Vietnamese female interviewer at the respondent\u27s home. Only the wife was interviewed. The questionnaire consisted of demographic and occupational data, three inventories and a standardized measure of stress. The findings indicated differences between groups regarding English speaking and reading skills, education of husband and wife, family size, number of preschool-aged children, rural or urban origins, the possession of technological inventions, number of American friends, husband and wife\u27s driver\u27s licenses and credit cards. The effect of employment on family roles was seen only in the housework task area. The study revealed that an alarming number of respondents were under stress. Employment was linked to positive mental health