The amelioration of health problems by social support from family and community, amongst Serbian refugees

Social support may be provided at three levels. First, there is help from the general community; acquisition of the host culture's language is most important for such social support at this level. This point is illustrated by Tran's (1990) research with Vietnamese refugees. Competence in English was associated with social adjustment and happiness. Indeed, Stoller and Krupinski (1973) considered that learning to speak English was the most important factor for non-British migrants to assist assimilation and adaptation in Australia. Secondly, the migrant's own cultural community is also vital, particularly during the early stages of resettlement. Kraus (1969) found that the larger the migrant community in New South Wales, the lower was the psychiatric hospital admission rate, across ten groups defined by country of birth. The third level of social support is provided by the family. Ben-David (1995) has suggested that support provided by the family system can be of prime importance in coping with the stress of migration. Family cohesion may help to reduce health problems. For instance, Sam and Berry (1995) found that those migrant children in Norway who had a close, supportive relationship with parents, tended to have a lower incidence of emotional disorders. On the other hand, family conflict, especially intergenerational conflict, may increase problems. Rosenthal, Ranieri and Klimidis (1996) reported that many adolescent Vietnamese refugees in Australia believed they held less traditional values than their parents. Conflict arising between parents and children may exacerbate serious problems like depression, psychosis and conduct disorder (Williams and Westermeyer, 1983).