Korean Women's Causal Perceptions of Hwabyung.
- Author:
Hye Sook SHIN
1
;
Dong Soo SHIN
Author Information
1. College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea. doshinct3@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Hwabyung;
Causal perception
- MeSH:
Diagnosis;
Female;
Gyeonggi-do;
Humans;
Korea;
Patient Care Planning;
Self Concept;
Self Report;
Senior Centers;
Seoul;
Statistics as Topic
- From:Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing
2004;10(4):283-290
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This study elicited Korean women's perceptions of the life situations that contribute to Hwabyung, a culture bound psychiatric illness in Korea, and delineated a typology of the perceived causative factors for this illness. METHOD: A purposive sample of 21 Korean women was recruited from a church, a senior center in Seoul and a clinic that provides traditional Korean and westernized medical services to patients in the Gyeonggi area. Inclusion criteria were: 1) the diagnosis of Hwabyung by a traditional doctor or "stress reaction and depression" by a westernized doctor; and 2) a score greater than 40 on the Hwabyung Self Report Instrument. Surveys using the HSRI and individual interviews using Q methodology were used. RESULT: The average age of the participants was 53.7 years (range 35-84). The mean score on the HSRI was 46.2 (range = 42-52). Data analysis showed that participants perceived three life situations to cause Hwabyung: vulnerable situation, lowered self esteem, and negative life events. CONCLUSIONS: Korean women, suffering from Hwabyung, perceived at least three different causal patterns for this illness. Nursing care plans should be tailored to meet these differences.
