Main description:

The Korean American community is one of the major Asian ethnic subgroups in the United States. Though considered among one of the model minority groups, excelling academically and professionally, members in this community are plagued by unaddressed mental health obstacles. In Understanding Korean Americans' Mental Health: A Guide to Culturally Competent Practices, Program Developments, and Policies, the editors, Anderson Sungmin Yoon, Sung Seek Moon, and Haein Son, examine a variety of mental health issues in the Korean American community, including depression, suicide, substance abuse, and trauma, and convincingly connect these challenges to cultural stigma and racial prejudice.

The editors argue that this population and its mental health needs are neglected by current approaches in mainstream mental health services. Alarmingly, the very cultural values that help make up the Korean American community are contributing to its members' reluctance to seek care, counting both familial and communal shame among the most pressing culprits. This book supports these claims with statistical realities and seeks to gather the relatively scarce research that does exist on this topic to underscore the heightened prevalence of mental health issues among Korean Americans, and the contributors make recommendations for more culturally competent practices, program developments, and policies.

Contents:

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part 1: Life Development and Mental Health

Chapter 1: Pathways to Mental Health Service Use for Korean American Adolescents: A Case Study

Wenhua Lu, Jessica Cho Kim, and Anderson Sungmin Yoon

Chapter 2: Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment Among Korean Immigrant Parents

Anderson Sungmin Yoon, Sharon Jung, and Yifan Liu

Chapter 3: The Moderating Role of Church-Based and General Social Support to Assist with Acculturation and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Korean Immigrants

Yeon-Shim Lee and Soonhee Roh

Chapter 4: Mental Health and Health Services Used by Korean American Immigrant Older Adults

Seokwon Yoon and Sung Seek Moon

Chapter 5: Limited English Proficiency, Social Determinants, and the Physical and Mental Health Status of Korean Immigrant Elders

Kyoung Hag Lee, Jung Sim Jun, and Hyeyoung Woo

Chapter 6: Gender Differences in Social Network/Support, Technology Use, and Life Satisfaction for Korean Immigrant Elders

Jung Sim Jun and Kyoung Hag Lee

Part 2: Life Circumstances and Mental Health

Chapter 7: Factors to Mental Health Service Utilization Among Korean Americans

Daniel Hyung Jik Lee and Jihee Woo

Chapter 8: Determinants of Mental Health Among Korean Americans

Ingyu Moon

Chapter 9: Shame and Perfectionism in Korean American Culture

Kwiryung Kim Yun

Chapter 10:Intimate Partner Violence Among Korean Americans in the United States

Soonok An

Chapter 11: Culturally Responsive Substance Abuse Interventions for Korean Americans

Sung Seek Moon and Anderson Sungmin Yoon

Chapter 12: Suicidal Behavior Among Korean Americans: Cultural Factors and Implications for Intervention

Sung Seek Moon, Anderson Sungmin Yoon, Haein Son, and Jae Won Kim

Chapter 13: Culturally Competent Treatment Engagement for Korean Americans With Mental Health Issues

Haein Son

Chapter 14: Mental Health & Well-Being of Korean Adoptees over the Life Course

Hollee A. McGinnis

Chapter 15: Beyond Immigration and the Family System: Korean American Mental Health in the Context of Historical and Cultural Trauma

Kristin Kim-Martin

Chapter 16: Challenges and Resilience of Korean Early Study Abroad Students: Implications for Practice

Christina Seowoo Lee and Sumie Okazaki

About the Editors

About the Contributors