PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on immigrant couples' communication, intimacy, conflict and quality of life when using foot massage. METHODS: The research design consisted of pre-and-post test consecutive experimental design through a nonequivalent control group. Data were collected July 6, 2009 to February 27, 2010. The 36 couples were divided into two groups, experimental and control with 18 couples in each group. Foot massage was applied twice a week for 6 weeks by the couples in the experimental group. RESULTS: There were statistically significant increases in communication (p=.011), intimacy (p<.001), quality of life (p=.017) between the couples in the experimental group compared to the control group. There was also a statistically significant decrease in conflict (p=.003) between the couples in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Foot massage can be applied as a nursing intervention for improvement of marital relationship in immigrant couples.
Adult ; *Communication ; *Conflict (Psychology) ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology ; Foot ; Humans ; Male ; Marriage/psychology ; *Massage ; *Quality of Life

PURPOSE: In this action research mixed research methods combining quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to examine a parent empowerment program for married immigrant women. METHODS: Data were collected from 14 women who participated in the action research. The 1st and 2nd sessions consisted of problem definition, planning, observation . evaluation and reflection. The parent empowerment program for married immigrant women was developed through theses steps, and quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed in order to examine the effects of the program and the participant' empowerment experiences. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test, and qualitative data using content analysis. RESULTS: The parent empowerment program was effective in enhancing married immigrant women's parenting efficacy and parenting attitude. The results of the qualitative analysis showed that, participants' empowerment experiences were: "learn information on parenting", "live stately with assertion my of opinions", "become confident in giving care", "as learner appreciating that children also try to be nice" and "family relations have improved". CONCLUSION: These results indicate the program is effective in enabling married immigrant women to find a 'positive I' so that they become aware of their identity as parents and help in their roles as parents.
Child ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Health Services Research ; Humans ; Parenting ; Parents ; Power (Psychology)

Due to recent upsurge in international marriages, the socio-cultural adaptation, the reinforcement of family stability, and the social integration support of marriage-based immigrant family have been the major social issues. This paper tries to show the current status of marriage-based immigrants and their children nation-wide. Specifically, it analyzes the statistical trends in international marriages, traits of marriage-based immigrants and their children, their attitudes towards child raising and education, and presents policy measures to enhance their life quality.
Child ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Emigration and Immigration ; Humans ; Infant ; Marriage ; Quality of Life ; Reinforcement (Psychology)

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing quality of life of married immigrant women in Korea. METHODS: The participants included 508 married immigrant women who met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the study. Participants were evaluated for subjective assessment of married immigrant-related constructs using a self-report questionnaire, for self-esteem, self-efficacy, and quality of life (QOL). The analysis was done using SPSS for Windows, version 10.1, and included stepwise regression. RESULTS: The major findings were as follows; 1) There were significant relationships between marital satisfaction (r=.39, p=.001), violence by the husband during the couple's arguments (r= -.24, p<.001), satisfaction with life in Korea (r=.39, p<.001), self-esteem (r=.16, p<.001), self-efficacy (r=.51, p<.001) and quality of life. 2) Marital satisfaction, self-efficacy, education level and satisfaction life with in Korea were significant factors, which explained 53% of the variance in quality of life (F=43.97, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that a powerful predictor of QOL for married immigrant women was self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: Developing nursing interventions to enhance self-efficacy toward improvement of QOL among married immigrant women is recommended.
Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Marriage ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Self Concept ; Self Efficacy

The evolutionary theory is applied to explain a multitude of natural and social phenomena. In medicine, evolutionary biology and psychology enables us to take perspectives beyond the biomedical paradigm of disease. The evolutionary pathophysiology looks for the ultimate cause of disease rather than the proximate causes. The ultimate cause of disease lies in the evolved psychological mechanisms (EPMs). This recognition fundamentally alters the traditional view of pathogenesis that a disease is the result of alien pathogens invading our bodies. Especially in psychiatry, the insight that the pathologic and normal mind have a common basis and that discriminating between them solely by means of natural science is rather impossible, this makes us rethink the validity of current reductionistic approaches to psychiatric nosology. In this article (Part I), the authors introduce evolutionary biology and psychology. Detailed application of the evolutionary perspective to psychiatric disorders will be discussed in the continuing article (Part II).
Biology ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Humans ; Natural Science Disciplines ; Psychology* ; Psychopathology*

PURPOSE: This study was to explore adaptation experience to family among women who immigrated for marriage. Specific aims were to identify problems immigrant women face as family members and how they interact with other family members. METHODS: Grounded theory methodology was utilized. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork with individual in-depth interviews from 6 immigrant women as key informants, and 2 of their husbands and 2 of their mothers-in-law as general informants. RESULTS: Through constant comparative analysis, a core category emerged as "tearing down the wall in communicating". Causal conditions were feeling frustrated in one's expectations, differences in language and life style, differences in recognition, and perceptions of discrimination and prejudice. Strategies were learning the Korean language, learning Korean culture, managing stress, mediating differences between family members, and introspecting. Intervening factors were support systems, burdens of child-rearing, and the condition of one's health. Consequences were rooting oneself in one's family and accepting one's life as it is. CONCLUSION: Results of the study indicate that there is a need for nurses to understand differences in communication with family members among immigrant women and to provide information and emotional support to improve the adaptation of these women to their Korean families.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology ; Family/ethnology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Marriage ; Parenting ; Social Support ; Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to collect basic data on social support and acculturative stress in migrant workers. METHODS: Between August, 2007 and January, 2008 171 immigrant workers completed data collection using a questionnaire. Workers were recruited from 2 churches, one in Seoul and the other in Gyeonggi Province. Mean and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and Stepwise multiple regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The average score for social support was 3.73 (+/-0.65) and for acculturative stress, 2.52 (+/-0.65). There were significant differences acculturative stress according to gender (t=2.152, p=.033), kind of job (t=2.597, p=.040), and have community or not (t=2.899, p=.005). There was a significant negative correlation between social support and acculturative stress (r=-.270, p=.001). Factors influencing acculturative stress were existence of participants having a community of people from their home country or not (R2=.151, p=.002). CONCLUSION: More studies are needed to identify the variables that influence acculturative stress in immigrant workers.
*Acculturation ; Adult ; Aged ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology ; Female ; Hostility ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; *Social Support ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: Aims of the researchers were to develop an birth control empowerment program (BCEP) designed to help married immigrant women in Korea to plan their pregnancies. METHODS: This study was as a randomized controlled trial to verify the effects of the BCEP. The BCEP was developed based on Falk-Rafael (2001)'s Empowerment caring model. The program was offered once a week, for 90 minutes per session, for a total of 10 weeks. The BCEP incorporated group instruction, group discussion, and counseling. The eligible participants were randomly assigned to either experimental group (n=23) or control group (n=23). RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group had significantly better outcomes in contraceptive knowledge (p<.001), contraceptive self-efficacy (p=.014), perceived contraceptive control (p<.001), sex-related spousal communication (p<.001), and sexual autonomy (p=.009). CONCLUSION: The BCEP was effective intervention method, which can promote family planning practices among married immigrant women.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Contraception* ; Counseling ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Methods ; Parturition* ; Power (Psychology)* ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the relationships among social discrimination, subjective health, and personal satisfaction based on the country of origin. METHODS: The analysis was based on 16,958 immigrants who participated in the National Survey of Multicultural Family 2015 in Korea. This study conducted stratified cross-analysis of social discrimination for the differences in subjective health and personal satisfaction. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the relationships among social discrimination, subjective health, and personal satisfaction were examined with multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: There were differences in experience of social discrimination, subjective health status, and personal satisfaction according to the country of origin. Groups without the experience of social discrimination had better subjective health and personal satisfaction than the other groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a discrimination prevention program needs to be developed based on a cultural approach.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Personal Satisfaction* ; Social Discrimination*

OBJECTIVES: The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale designed to measure the subjective experience of stigma with sub-scales measuring Alienation, Stereotype Endorsement, Perceived Discrimination, Stigma Resistance, and Social withdrawal. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of ISMI. METHODS: The subjects were 194 schizophrenic patients and 205 peoples with depressive disorder. K-ISMI, CES-D (The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and Self Esteem scale were performed. RESULTS: Results showed that the ISMI had high internal consistence and split-half reliabilities. The internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach alpha) of each subscale ranged from .83 to .93. The validity of the ISMI was investigated by principal axis factoring analysis, yielding 5 factors of alienation, perceived discrimination, negative stereotype, stigma resistance, devaluation and social withdrawal. 5 subscales explained 60.67% of total variance. Concurrent validity was supported by comparisons against scales measuring related constructs. As expected, the ISMI had positive correlations with CES-D, and it had negative correlation with self-esteem scale. Subsidiary analysis showed that schizophrenic patients showed higher internalized stigma than depressed patients. CONCLUSION: Overall, the findings support the utility of ISMI as a tool to evaluate internalized stigma of persons with mental illness. Interventions that can lessen internalized stigma may well hasten the recovery process in individuals with mental illness.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Self Concept ; Weights and Measures