A comparison of attitudes and perceptions toward mental health between Koreans in Korea and Korean Americans in U.S

This study investigated a comparison of attitudes and perceptions toward mental health and utilization between two cultural groups (Koreans and Korean Americans) through six different hypotheses. In addition, it assessed their relationships, similarities, and differences toward seeking professional help between two generational age groups as the criterion variable (ATSPPH-SF) and the predictor variables (Acculturation Attitude Scale, depression from the CESD-IO, number of years in the United States, years of education, and generation level). A total of 223 Koreans (age range from 19 to 73) residing in Pusan, South Korea, and Korean Americans (age range from 19 to 84) residing within Central and Southern California participated in this study, with 76 male (34.1%) and 147 female (65.9%) individuals in this study.;The data were analyzed using t tests, ANOVAs, and multiple regression. The findings suggested that (a) Korean Americans had a more positive attitude toward mental health interventions than did Koreans living in Korea, and all younger Korean Americans had more favorable attitudes toward mental health and more positive outcomes than did all older participants when exposed to a Western culture; (b) both younger and older Koreans living in the United States had significantly lower depression scores than did Koreans living in Korea; (c) there were indifferences between ages or generations regarding their mental health attitudes; (d) the more acculturated, more educated Korean Americans endorsed positive attitudes toward seeking professional help and had lower depression scores.;The only significant predictors were education, nationality, and integration. More highly educated Korean Americans with greater integration of Western ideas and practices had more favorable mental health attitudes toward seeking professional help. Western acculturation seems tied directly to willingness to seek Western style mental health. With increasing cultural understanding it may become possible to provide culturally competent services for both Koreans' and Korean Americans' mental health issues.