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Michelle Choi, RN, MS, Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-307-9904, mchoi7@uic.edu and Frederick J. Kviz, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor Street, M/C 923, Chicago, IL 60612.
Korean American women face challenges immediately upon immigration to the United States where their native language and culture do not easily adjust to life in a new society. As a result, multiple stressors have the potential to manifest into negative mental health outcomes. This research study will seek to explore the experiences of Korean American immigrant women by assessing how immigration and acculturation affect the mental health of Korean American women and identifying cultural beliefs that become barriers to seeking mental health care while becoming acculturated in the United States. This project will follow a Participatory Action Research framework to understand cultural perceptions in relation to immigration and barriers to mental health. Focus groups will be conducted with Korean American community leaders to identify barriers to mental health care among Korean American women. Focus group data will be used to develop a comprehensive mental health questionnaire that will be administered to 200 Korean American immigrant women in the Chicago metropolitan area. Out of these 200 women, 15-20 women will be invited to participate in a one-on-one in-depth interview to further explain their experiences and barriers to accessing mental health care. Study findings will be summarized on barriers to seeking mental health care, disseminated through written reports, and presented at community forums and professional association meetings. Awareness of these barriers will direct mental health care providers towards target subgroups, points of intervention, and types of support needed to assist Korean American women in seeking appropriate care for their specific needs.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Asian Women, Immigrant Women
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.