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PTSD in Asian American and Pacific Islander Veterans: Prevalence, Context, and Implications for Practice

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Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Abstract

Although Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are often treated as one homogenous group, great diversity exists among the 60 plus subgroups encompassed by this category. AAPIs have served in the US military since the early 1800s, yet there is little data on AAPI veterans and even less information on trauma and PTSD among AAPI veterans. This chapter provides a brief overview of AAPIs as a whole and, whenever possible, on specific AAPI subgroups, and their respective histories in the US military. Available empirical data on the prevalence of traumatic experiences, rates of PTSD, and health-care utilization in AAPI veterans are reviewed. Salient contextual factors, such as unique socio-histories, the model minority stereotype, racism, methodological limitations of ethno-racial assessment, and cultural norms and beliefs, are discussed in relation to trauma, PTSD development and/or symptoms, utilization of mental health care, and implications for assessing and treating PTSD in AAPI veterans.

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Abbreviations

AA:

Asian American

AAPI:

Asian American Pacific Islander

CIA:

Central Intelligence Agency

MST:

Military Sexual Trauma

NH:

Native Hawaiian

NHPI:

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

NVVP:

National Vietnam Veterans Project

OEF:

Operation Enduring Freedom

OIF:

Operation Iraqi Freedom

OMB:

Office of Management and Budget

PI:

Pacific Islander

PTSD:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

US:

United States

VA:

Department of Veterans Affairs

WHIAAPI:

White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

WWI:

World War I

WWII:

World War II

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, 3375 Koapaka Street, Suite I-560, Honolulu, HI, 96819, USA

    Athena Yoneda & Julia M. Whealin

  2. VA Connecticut Health Care System, 950 Campbell Avenue, 151D, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    Jack Tsai

Authors
  1. Athena Yoneda
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  2. Julia M. Whealin
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  3. Jack Tsai
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Correspondence to Athena Yoneda .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Buckinghamshire New University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

  2. Kings College, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Yoneda, A., Whealin, J.M., Tsai, J. (2015). PTSD in Asian American and Pacific Islander Veterans: Prevalence, Context, and Implications for Practice. In: Martin, C., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_90-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_90-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08613-2

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