• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.371-398
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of mother's caregiving satisfaction of a person with mental disorder and factors influencing to it as a positive aspect of caregiving experience. A survey conducted upon 231 mothers who live together with their adult-children with mental disorder through community mental health centers, social rehabilitation facilities and day hospitals. Collected data were analysed by t-test, Oneway-ANOVA, hierachical multiple regression analysis, and so on. The results are as follows: 1) The mean of mother's caregiving satisfaction is 3.06 in 5 point scale. Among the total items of the caregiving satisfaction scale, the means of the items 'finding strength through caregiving' and 'personal growth through caregiving' are higher than any others. 2) In the final regression model, statistically significant factors influencing to the caregiving satisfaction are 'the relationship quality between mothers and the mentally disordered', 'perceived social support from family, significant others, and friends', 'marital status of mothers', and 'family income'. Better relationship quality between mothers and the adult children with mental disorder and higher social support from family, significant others, and friends explained higher caregiving satisfaction of mothers. The level of a widow or divorced mother's caregiving satisfaction is higher than married one. The less family income affected to higher caregiving satisfaction. Variables related to mental disorder of adult-children, such as social function, years of mental disorder and frequency of hospitalization were not statistically significant influencing factors to mother's caregiving satisfaction. Through this research, the implications of social work practice were suggested in many ways.