Korean migrants' experiences and attitudes towards mental illness and mental health services in New Zealand

Abstract

The process of migration is known to cause significant psychological distress. Korean migrants living in New Zealand are the focus of this study as the term “Asian” has been identified as over-simplyfying the diversity that exists across Asian groups. Furthermore, research in other Western countries on Korean migrants show that they underutilise mental health services when compared to other Asian groups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten members from the local Korean community which explored their experiences and attitudes towards mental illness and mental health services in New Zealand. Through thematic analysis common themes and patterned responses were identified. Some identified themes were: Cultural barriers, language barriers and lack of information on mental health and mental health services. The most influential factor was found to be Korean cultural values being in conflict with the general understanding of mental illness and mental health services in New Zealand. The implications of this research will be to assist Korean migrants to access mental health services in times of need.