Sociological Study of Korean Immigrants' Mental Health, 1986-1988

The aim of this cross-sectional epidemiological survey of Korean immigrants' mental health was "to examine the structural and situational contexts of Korean immigrants' uprooting and adjustment processes (pre- and post-immigration socioeconomic conditions and sociocultural adaptation patterns in the U.S.)"; "identify the high-risk situations (the critical stages in adaptation process) in which Korean immigrants are generally vulnerable to mental and behavioral disorders"; and "analyze precipitating factors associated with the high-risk situations and the immigrants' mental health." The sample included 622 Korean-American immigrants, 288 women, 334 men, 20-82 years, and averaging 41.6 years.

Participants resided in Metropolitan Chicago (which included 70 suburban communities). The study was conducted from April, 1986 to March, 1988. Specific areas of focus in the study included personal background; acculturation; social interaction & religious participation; social and psychological well-being; attitudes toward family members and Korean immigrants; attitudes toward the American culture and society; expectations in family, occupational, and social relations; family life & satisfaction; and occupational experience.