Adaptation problems of Vietnamese refugees. II. Life changes and perception of life events.

The Vietnamese refugees have encountered a multitude of acute psychological, social, cultural, economic, and political upheavals. This study documents the Vietnamese perceptions of the life events that have swirled about them as well as the occurrences of these life events. Questionnaires were administered in 1975 and 1976 as part of an ongoing study. The expected high amount of life change in the year of the evacuation and resettlement (1975) continued into the following year (1976). Financial, life-style, work, spouse, and schooling problems continued to plague them and were increased in the second year. There was a positive correlation between life change and health status. The Vietnamese rank ordered the impact of life events in a fashion similar to the Americans, but there were differences in mean magnitude estimations. Substantial reductions in magnitude estimations at second administration of the Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire indicated a change in the situational perception set with time.