Abstract

Brice Wilfried Obiang Obounou* and Lorato Lillian Mpelega

Married Asian female immigrants’ mental health issues, particularly depression in relation to acculturation is becoming a serious problem in the republic of Korea. The country is transitioning from a homogenous society to a multicultural country. This transition can be attributed to the large number of females from other Asian countries married to Koreans; with over 85% of foreign spouses being women. When these married female immigrants arrive in Korea, they have to learn a new language, a new culture and change their diet. The acculturation experience is often associated with a high prevalence of depression among these women. From literature written in English, an analysis was made to determine whether acculturation factors had a greater impact on the occurrence of depression among married Asian female immigrants compared to social determinants of health. Due to the pattern observed from this analysis, policies were recommended for future consideration by relevant bodies.