Journal of the Korea Convergence Society (한국융합학회논문지)

Korea Convergence Society (한국융합학회)
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Acculturation and the Mental Health Status of the Immigrants in South Korea : Convergence to the General Tendency?

이주민의 문화동화와 정신건강 : 일반적 경향으로의 융합인가?

  • Kim, Min Jeong (Dept. of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Ra, Chaelin (Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California) ;
  • Cho, Youngtae (Dept. of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
  • 김민정 (서울대학교 보건대학원 보건학과) ;
  • 라채린 (미국남가주대학교 예방의학과) ;
  • 조영태 (서울대학교 보건대학원 보건학과)
  • Received : 2017.08.08
  • Accepted : 2017.09.20
  • Published : 2017.09.28
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Abstract

This study was conducted to study the effect of acculturation on the permanent resident and naturalized citizens' mental health status. The Survey Data of Foreign Residents in Korea 2012 was utilized. Independent variable was the acculturation level, measured by the duration of life spent in Korea and the level of Korean proficiency. The dependent variable was the mental health outcome. Initially, acculturation showed protective effect on mental health of immigrants. But after adjustment of control variables, the effect of acculturation disappeared. This result does not converge into the general trajectory of mental health status among immigrants regarding the level of acculturation. The experience of discrimination had outstanding negative effect, which suggests policy inception point.

이 연구는 우리나라에서 영주권을 얻었거나 귀화한 외국인들의 정신건강과 한국문화 동화 간의 관계를 고찰하였다. 영주권자 및 귀화자의 건강을 포함한 가장 최근 자료인 2012년 거주외국인 조사자료가 분석에 활용되었다. 분석에 사용된 주요변수는 한국거주기간과 한국어 수준으로 측정된 문화동화 수준과 정신건강이었다. 문화동화수준이 영주권자와 귀화자의 정신건강을 보호하는 것처럼 보였지만 통제변수들이 분석에 추가된 후 그 효과는 사라졌다. 이러한 경향은 다른 나라에서 발견된 문화동화와 정신건강 간의 일반적 결과에 융합하지 않는 결과이다. 한편 차별경험이 이주민 건강에 매우 중요한 변수임이 발견되었다.

Keywords

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