The evaluation of depression for elderly Korean American immigrants

Abstract

With the fast growing population of Korean elderly American in the United States, depression is one of the most common mental health illnesses in the population of Korean Americans. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender on depression among elderly Korean American immigrants who are 65 years or older and resided in Southern California. This study also explored the predictors of depression among older Korean American immigrants with an emphasis on the role of gender. In addition, this study explored if other factors may impact depression. Data collection in this study was collected via self-reported surveys. The survey consisted of a demographic questionnaire and Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-SF) in English and Korean. Results of the demographics survey and the Korean or English version of GDS-SF were analyzed using SPSS. There was no significant relationship with depression by gender. Living alone, marital status of widowed, lower educational level and lower household income, were associated with a higher prevalence of mental health problems.