Transcultural research for mental health between the rural population of Nepalese and Korean

Kim, Young Uck; Cheung, Seung Douk

Abstract

In order to make transcultural research for mental health centered on anxiety and depression between two countries of which psychosocial factors are different, the author studied 698 Nepalese in Dolka in January 1990 and 417 Korean of Chungdo and Kyungju in Korea from July to August 1990 by using the Combined Self-Rating Anxiety Depression Scale (CSADS). The author applied t-test and ANOVA to compare these two groups. The results were as follows: The total scored of Nepalese scored 51.27±11.10 while Korean Scored 44.29±11.79. The anxiety-depression scores relating to the items of restlessness, depressed affect, apprehension, crying spells and fatigue were significantly high in Nepalese, while fatigue, sleep disturbance, dissatisfaction, dizziness, and anxiousness were significantly high in Korean. Both groups showed an increase of score with age. The item relating to education, the scores of the CSADS was significantly high in lower education level in Nepal but Korean showed no significant difference among education level. The score of the CSADS above 50 (clinically significant level) was seen in 361 (51.7%) Nepalese and 116 (27.9%) Korean, which shows the proportion of Nepalese are significantly higher than that of Korean.