Abstract
This paper reports the case study of one Cambodian adolescent unaccompanied minor refugee who had experienced severe trauma and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Treatment of PTSD in this case has implications for therapy with similar clients. The impact of the client's cultural background, relocation and acculturation is examined from clinical, developmental and cross cultural perspectives.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1987).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (3rd ed, revised) (pp. 247–251). Washington DC: APA.
Bandura, A. (1977).Social learning theory. Morristown, NJ: General Learning Press.
Bandura, A. (1986).Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Bemak, F. (April, 1985).The integration of adjustment and mental health issues for the Southeast Asian unaccompanied minor and foster families: The cross cultural path to success. Paper presented at the National Conference on Unaccompanied Minor Refugees, Chevy Chase, MD.
Bemak, F. (1989). Cross cultural family therapy with Southeast Asian refugees.Journal of Strategic and Systemic Therapies 8: 22–27.
Carlin, J. and Sokoloff, B. (1985). Mental health treatment issues for Southeast Asian children. In: T. Owan (ed),Southeast Asian Mental Health: Treatment. Prevention Services. Training and Research (DHNS Publication No. ADM 85-600553) (pp. 91–112). Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Erikson, E. (1964).Insight and responsibility. New York: W.W. Norton.
Finkelhor, D. (1984).Child sexual abuse: New theory and research. New York: Free Press.
Furnham, A. and Bochner, S. (1986).Culture shock: Psychological reactions to unfamiliar environments. London: Methuen.
Green, A. (1983). Dimensions of psychological trauma in abused children.Journal of the American Association of Child Psychiatry 22: 231–237.
Kardiner, A. (1941).The traumatic neuroses of war. New York: P. Hoeber.
Kinzie, J.D. and Fleck, J. (1987). Psychotherapy with severely traumatized refugees.American Journal of Psychotherapy XLI (1): 82–94.
Kohlberg, L. (1984).Essays on moral development: Volume Two: The psychology of moral development. San Francisco: Harper and Row.
Krystal, H. (1968).Massive psychic trauma. New York: International Universities Press.
Lindemann, E. (1944). Symptomatology and management of acute grief.Journal of Psychiatry 101: 141–148.
Lee, C. and Richardson, B. (eds) (1991).Multicultural issues in counseling: New approaches to diversity. Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development.
Maslow, A.H. (1970).Motivation and personality (2nd edition). New York: Harper and Row.
Nguyen, S. (1982). The psychosocial adjustment and the mental health needs among Southeast Asian refugees.Psychiatric Journal of the University of Ottawa 7: 26–35.
Rumbaut, R. (1985). Mental health and the refugee experience: A comparative study of Southeast Asian refugees. In: T. Owan (ed)Southeast Asian Mental Health: Treatment. Prevention Services, Training and Research. (DHHS Publication No. ADM 85-600553) (pp. 433–486). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Schulz, N. and Sontz, A. (1984).Voyagers in the land: A report on unaccompanied Southeast Asian refugee children. New York: United States Catholic Conference.
Terr, L. (1983). Chowchilla revisited: The effects of psychic trauma four years after a school bus kidnapping.American Journal of Psychiatry 140: 1543–1550.
Timm, J. (1980). Group care of children and the development of moral judgment.Child Welfare LIX (6): 323–333.
Timberlake, P. and Cook, K. (1984). Social work and the Vietnamese refugee.Social Work 29 (2): 108–113.
Ukrainian famine survivors recall season in hell. (1983, October 20). Edmonton Journal, p. A1.
van der Kolk, B. (1987).Psychological trauma. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Wehrly, B. (1990). Indochinese refugees in schools in the United States of America — Challenges and opportunities for counselors.International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 13: 155–167.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bemak, F., Timm, J. Case study of an adolescent Cambodian refugee: A clinical, developmental and cultural perspective. Int J Adv Counselling 17, 47–58 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01407925
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01407925