Maternal Sensitivity, Posttraumatic Stress, and Acculturation in Vietnamese and Hmong Mothers

The author sought to determine the extent of posttraumatic stress & acculturation in Vietnamese & Hmong mothers in the US & identify their relationship to maternal sensitivity. She found that almost half of the sample population were clinically depressed or anxious, with less acculturated mothers tending to be more anxious & depressed. One third had considered suicide in the previous week. In spite of high depression & anxiety rates, maternal sensitivity was high & was not significantly related to any variable. (34 refs)