Family Relationships and Depression among Elderly Korean Immigrants

The purposes of the study were to describe family relationships within the context of living arrangements (living with adult children or without adult children) and support network, and to further determine associations of these factors to depression in elderly Korean immigrants. Over 70% ( N = 160) of Korean elders were found to live apart from their adult children. However, Korean elders who were living independently reported higher levels of depression in spite of their expressed desire to live independently and to be less dependent upon their adult children. These findings suggest that family support and close relationships with their adult children play a central role in adjusting to a new life and in preventing and/or lessening depression in elderly Korean immigrants.