Title

The Impact of Acculturation on Depressive Symptoms: A Comparison of Older Korean Americans in Two Areas.

Journal Title

Asian American Journal of Psychology

Publication Date

2018

Abstract

This study examined how the impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms varied between two samples of older Korean Americans. One sample was from west central Florida (low Korean density area; n = 672), and the other from the New York City metropolitan area (high Korean density area; n = 420). The average level of acculturation was lower among older Korean Americans in New York, compared to those living in Florida. In the hierarchical regression models with the New York sample, acculturation was initially significant in predicting depressive symptoms; however, its impact was gradually attenuated and eventually became nonsignificant with the sequential entry of control variables. On the other hand, in the Florida sample, the impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms remained significant throughout the models. The results suggest that the level and importance of acculturation may differ by geographic locations and invite further contextual research in immigrant populations.

Keywords

acculturation, depressive symptoms, geographic location, older Korean Americans

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work

Volume

5

Issue

3

First Page

200

Last Page

205

DOI

10.1037/a0032591

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