Depression in Korean immigrants in Canada. I. Method of the study and prevalence of depression

This study reports the prevalence and risk factors of depression in a large representative community sample of adult Korean immigrants in Toronto, Canada. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale was used to measure depression by applying DSM-III criteria. Results in general suggest few differences between the immigrant community and the larger communities in Canada and the United States. Depressive syndrome was present in 4.5% of the sample, a prevalence similar to rates reported by the Epidemiologic Catchment Area studies. The risk factors associated with depression in larger populations were also found to be related to depression in this sample. Gender, marital status, intention to re-migrate, and social support were the most powerful correlates of depressive syndrome. In summary, Korean immigrants in Toronto are not exceptionally vulnerable to depression, and the social support from informal ethnic networks at the time of arrival has long-lasting effects on their mental health. Future research should focus on how the informal social supports available at the time of arrival are maintained by immigrants and the precise ways in which they exert long-term protective effects.