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Sabado P, Kuoch K, Sngiem S, Peong V, Chan L, Hopson C, Veng T, Colfax G, Tham L, Sen-Matthews A, Ung V, Tieng P, Siphan C, Dance J, Chang K, Doxey J, Wood J, D'Anna L. A Community-Defined Approach to Address Trauma Among Cambodian Immigrants and Refugees. Health Promot Pract 2023:15248399231184450. [PMID: 37482758 DOI: 10.1177/15248399231184450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kimthai Kuoch
- Cambodian Association of American, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Ladine Chan
- Families in Good Health, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Chan Hopson
- Khmer Parent Association, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Gary Colfax
- Cambodian Association of American, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Lavyn Tham
- United Cambodian Community, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Virak Ung
- Cambodian Association of American, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kyle Chang
- California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Laura D'Anna
- California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA
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