Applying Theory to Recent Immigration Stress in Koreans

本提案是对居住在洛杉矶地区的韩国成年人进行的前瞻性、基于社区的调查 (the首尔以外最大的韩国社区）。不同文化适应程度的移民将 描述他们生活中的问题，他们对这些问题的归因，以及他们的应对方式; 一个月后，他们将报告这些问题的后遗症，包括压力水平和身体， 精神症状。本研究的目的是（1）流行病学，在记录 问题，压力水平，以及韩裔美国人（相对研究不足的人群）的相关病理学， (2)解释性的，试图解释最近和确定的发病率之间的任何差异 移民的文化价值观，归因，应对策略和目标，（3）理论，在 完善归因、应对、压力和疾病的一般模型。研究结果表明， 理论的进步，以及对压力相关疾病的有效社区干预。方面 研究结果不仅将检验现有因果模型的可复制性，而且将推进该模型 通过展示文化的影响。在实践方面，调查结果将至少提供 流行病学信息对在这个社区工作的临床医生很有价值。此外，如果解释 结果如预期，它们将表明对这一人群进行干预的最有效手段， 从而提高精神卫生服务提供者的文化能力。认知和行为 可以很容易地适应于改变那些最“危险”的移民的归因和应对行为。 因为压力和疾病这使得不仅有可能集中和有效的个人治疗， 社区预防讲习班也是如此。

This proposal is for a prospective, community based survey of Korean adults living in the Los Angeles area (the largest Korean community outside of Seoul). Immigrants of varying degrees of acculturation will describe the problems in their lives, their attributions for those problems, and their ways of coping; one month later, they will report the sequelae to those problems, including stress levels and physical and psychiatric symptoms. The goals of this study are (1) Epidemiologic, in terms of documenting the problems, stress levels, and related pathology in Korean-Americans (a relatively understudied population), (2) Explanatory, to try to explain any differential rates of morbidity between recent and established immigrants in terms of cultural values, attributions, and coping strategies and goals, and (3) Theoretical, in terms of refining a general model of attributions, coping, stress and illness. Findings hold promise both for the advancement of theory, and for effective community interventions for stress-related disorders. In terms of theory, findings will not only test the replicability of an existing causal model, but will advance that model by showing the influence of culture. In terms of practice, findings will, at the very least, provide epidemiological information valuable to clinicians working in this community. Moreover, if explanatory results are as anticipated, they will indicate the most efficacious means of intervening with this population, thereby enhancing the cultural competence of mental health service providers. Cognitive and behavioral could easily be adapted to changing the attributions and coping behaviors of those immigrants most "at risk" for stress and illness. This allows the possibility of not only focused and effective individual therapy, but community-based prevention workshops as well.