Self-reported Ethnic Identity, Depression and Anxiety among Young Vietnamese Refugees and Their Parents

There are approximately 2500 Indochinese refugees in Finland dispersed in small groups throughout the country. This study assesses to what extent the young generation of refugees is moving away from the values and culture of their parents, and to what extent this creates conflicts between the generations and emotional stress. Cultural identity and emotional stress are measured with several indices. The results from the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25 and the Vietnamese Depression Scale are presented. The sample of the study consists of two generations, 159 young refugees born in 1969–1976 and 121 of their parents/caregivers. The results of the study suggest that the amount of self-reported anxiety and depression tend to increase with length of stay in Finland, in both generations. The symptom level is higher among females than males. Time in the resettlement country also clearly affects the ethnic self-perception of the youth (in the direction of more ‘Finnishness’), but not that of the adults. This could produce increasing generational strain and explain the rising symptom level.