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Effects of Ethnic Identity on the Relationship Between Mental Health and Perceived Discrimination Among Ethnic Return Migrants: The Case of Korean Chinese Return-Migrated to South Korea

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Abstract

This study examined the relationship among mental health, perceived discrimination and ethnic identity among Korean Chinese (Joseonjok) who have return-migrated to South Korea. A survey was conducted with 399 Joseonjok adults (≥ 19 years) residing in the capital city Seoul or nearby. Depression was measured using the (self-report) Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Korean (CES-D-K) version (n = 292, mean age = 42.6, female = 56.5%). Perceived discrimination and ethnic identity were assessed with single-item questions. The mean CES-D-K total score was 9.3 (SD = 8.4) and 20.6% had clinical depression (cut-off score: 16). Perceived discrimination was positively associated with CES-D-K scores (regression coefficient = 2.09, p = 0.04). This association was stronger in those identifying themselves more strongly as ‘Korean’ than ‘Chinese’. Discrimination by ‘co-ethnic hosts’ can have a greater impact on mental health among those ethnic return migrants with a stronger ethnic identity. More efforts are needed to help them better integrate into South Korean society.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to express gratitude to all survey participants and the Federation of Korean Chinese Associations (‘중국동포연합중앙회’ in Korean), and special thanks to Mr. Young-Min Kim and Mr. Seong-Gon Kim for helping on data collection as well as Dr. Jong-Hyun Yi for his valuable comments on this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the Gachon University research fund of 2016 (GCU-2016-0086).

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  1. Department of Healthcare Management, College of Social Science, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnamdaero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, 13120, South Korea

    Jihyung Hong

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Hong, J. Effects of Ethnic Identity on the Relationship Between Mental Health and Perceived Discrimination Among Ethnic Return Migrants: The Case of Korean Chinese Return-Migrated to South Korea. J Immigrant Minority Health 21, 522–532 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0775-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0775-9

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