The Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients in the Multi-Cultural Mental Health Clinic

Kim, Nam Hee; Song, Dong Ho; Kim, Chae Ok; Min, Sung Kil

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study investigated changes in the clinical characteristics of foreign patients receiving psychiatric treatment in a public mental hospital in Seoul over the last nine years.
METHODS
We compared the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of a multi-cultural mental health (MCMH) clinic group of 49 foreign psychiatric patients, who had attended the newly opened special clinic for foreigners during the period August 2009-2010, with those of a general group of 71 foreign psychiatric patients, who had been treated in conventional ways during the period 2002-July 2009.
RESULTS
The MCMH clinic group was characterized by voluntary attendances with the assistance of family, friends or supporting organizations. The patients were more likely to have resided longer in Korea, to have Korean citizenship, to be young married immigrant women and to have children. They were also more able to communicate by themselves or with the support of bilingual interpreters and were more likely to receive outpatient-based treatment and to experience longer periods of treatment. In contrast, the general group was characterized by involuntary hospital attendances supported by the police or the embassies of their home countries, and patients received inpatient services. They were also discharged sooner to be sent back to their home countries. Depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder were more common in the MCMH clinic group, while schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and a past history of psychiatric disorders were more common in general group. In the MCMH clinic group, those patients with Korean citizenship or permanent residency seemed to maintain consistent and stable treatment with a good prognosis.
CONCLUSION
The findings from the specialized multi-cultural mental health clinic suggest that specialized setting for foreigners is more efficient in helping them, particularly for married immigrant women. This means that specialized systematic evaluation and treatment approach needs to be developed to provide culturally relevant mental health services for foreigners living in Korea.