The mental health of Korean immigrants in São Paulo, Brazil

Cadernos de Saúde Pública

Sam Kang¹  Denise Razzouk¹  Jair Jesus De Mari¹  Itiro Shirakawa¹ 

[1] ,Universidade Federal de São Paulo Departamento de Psquiatria São Paulo,Brasil

关键词: Mental Disorders;    Mental Health;    Imigrants;    Transtornos Mentais;    Saúde Mental;    Imigrantes;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0102-311X2009000400013

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

This study investigated the frequency of lifetime mental disorders among Korean immigrants in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Snowball sampling with multiple focuses was used to recruit Korean immigrants older than 18 years and living in São Paulo. A total of 324 Korean immigrants were selected and their mental status was evaluated using a structured interview, namely the Portuguese or the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1. The diagnoses of mental disorders were made according to the ICD-10. The frequency of any lifetime psychiatric disorder was 41.9%. The frequencies of main disorders were: anxiety disorder, 13% (post-traumatic stress disorder, 9.6%); mood disorder, 8.6%; somatoform disorders, 7.4%; dissociative disorder, 4.9%; psychotic disorder, 4.3%; eating disorder, 0.6%; any substance (tobacco, alcohol, drugs) use disorder, 23.1%. The frequency of any psychiatric disorder except alcohol and tobacco use disorders was 26.2%. Korean immigrants have more psychiatric disorders than the Korean population in Korea, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder, and almost the same rate as the Brazilian population. Mental health authorities should promote a healthier integration and the development of culturally sensitive mental health programs for Korean immigrants.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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