A review of mental health services for refugees between 1975 and 1985 and a proposal for future services.

A lack of federal planning and foresight and an uneven and poorly coordinated network of state services have resulted in fragmented mental health care for the large number of Southeast Asian and other refugees who have entered the United States since 1975. The author reviews the history of mental health services for refugees between 1975 and 1985 and proposes the development of separate mental health and health services for refugees that are responsive to their political, social, economic, and cultural needs. Ideally the services would be provided within existing medical institutions and staffed by medical, psychiatric, and social services personnel assisted by culturally sensitive translators. The author outlines the role of government and organized psychiatry in shaping new programs for refugees and promoting their mental health.