Manifestations of depression in Korean- and Anglo-Americans.

Abstract

Despite the immense volume of depression literature, there are significant gaps of knowledge in depression research of ethnic minorities including Korean Americans. The primary purpose of this study was to enhance the theoretical and empirical understanding of the depressive experience of Korean Americans. A correlational-descriptive, cross-sectional design with multivariate analysis was employed to: (1) identify significant factors that influence the depression experience of Korean Americans, (2) test the psychometric properties of the Kim Depression Scale for Korean Americans, and (3) identify essential similarities and differences in manifestations of depression of Korean and Anglo Americans. A total of 305 subjects, 154 Korean Americans and 151 Anglo Americans participated in this comparison study of depression in Korean and Anglo Americans. The findings of this study identified some important mediators and moderators of the depression experience for Korean Americans. The results of the study also identified essential similarities and differences in depression manifestations of Korean and Anglo Americans. Among the most important outcomes of the study was the discovery of a clue that may help to delineate a cross-cultural boundary of depression. While understanding of the perceptions, antecedents, and outcomes of depression may need a culture-specific approach, the manifestation of depression seems to show more universal characteristics. These findings have implications for future cross-cultural depression research, the clinical management of depression, and potential preventive strategies against depression in immigrant populations such as Korean Americans.