Depression Risk Factors Increase among Vietnamese College Students through the Scope of Acculturation & Parental Attachment Qualitie

The invisible subculture of Vietnamese college students who overstay their educational visas is more prevalent than society is aware. This population is prone to high rates of depression due to poor quality of acculturation to Western customs and types of parental attachment. Much of this population is overlooked among society due to their model minority status. Many of these students decide to study abroad with intentions of remaining in the United States illegally. Issues such as untreated major mental health problems may eventually lead to individual forensic issues such as substance abuse, illegal immigration status, financial abuse of government assistance, and possible deportation (Higgs et al., 2009). The forensic issues are exacerbated due to the population's non-belief in mental health issues, lack of knowledge about mental health issues, or hesitation when seeking mental health services due to negative cultural stigma. There are few mental health resources that target this special population, are culturally sensitive, or are bilingual in the Vietnamese and English languages. Students at 10 local Southern California community colleges were offered the opportunity to participate in a study that examined levels of depression, acculturation, and attachment qualities. The two groups were compared across levels of depression, quality of acculturation, and attachment. All (12) participants admitted that they knew of other students who have completed their education and are currently living illegally in the United States. The results of the study demonstrated a high need for mental health intervention for this targeted population. Although there is no legal obligation to clinically treat this population, there is a sense of societal obligation to provide appropriate mental health care.