The Social Networks and Psychological Well-Being of Korean Women Immigrants

한국 여성 이민자의 사회적 지지와 심리적 복지

A study of 117 Korean immigrant women who had husband and(or) children in Hawaii found the relation between social networks and psychological well-being. Social networks composed supporters, support structure, and support contents. Psychological well-being examined family life satisfaction, family life stability, and women's psychological health. Results showed as followed. First, the choice of immigration place among Korean immigrant women and her family based on other family members and friends lived in there. Second, her supporters were family and relatives, Korean friends, foreign friends, religions, belonged organizations and groups, public agencies in Hawaii, and mass-media. The best supporters of them was family and relatives and they mostly provided mental health to Korean immigrant women. Family, Korean friends, foreign friends, and religions tended to support emotional assistance. Third, the level of psychological well-being was higher. Her level of psychological health was higher than the others. Fourth, the best predictors of psychological well-being were child existence, occupation, and immigration duration. Fifth, psychological well-being significantly distinguished different relations of supporters from support structure of social network. The number and support duration with foreign friends supporter and the support duration and the level of perceived useful support content highly related with psychological well-being.