Comparisons between Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and, when possible, similar populations from their ancestral land of origin may allow for unique insights into the development of substance use disorders. Drawn from research conducted within the Hmong residing in the United States and from ongoing collaborative work between the United States and Vietnam, this paper presents a few examples of the types of addiction research that may be possible in Asian populations, both in the United States and in Asia, with a focus on developing South East Asian countries and their AAPI counterparts in the United States. Approaches to research may include epidemiological surveys, evaluation of treatment need and outcome, and genetic contributors to the risk for substance use disorders (SUDs) as well as response to SUD treatment.
Keywords: Hmong; collaborative research; opiate dependence; psychiatric disorder.