Skip to main content
Log in

Adult Korean Americans: Their Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Counseling Services

  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the attitudes of 157 adult Korean Americans, who routinely gather at a community center, about obtaining professional counseling services. Data gathered from self-report instruments were used to determine gender, income, and educational differences and preferences for seeking sources of help. No significant gender or income level differences were found among the participants with respect to their attitudes in procuring professional counseling. However, study-participants with higher levels of education indicated more positive attitudes about securing professional assistance. Also significant differences were found between female and male respondents regarding their preferences for help-seeking. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • P. D. Akutsu L. R. Snowden K. C. Organista (1996) ArticleTitleReferral patterns in ethnic-specific and mainstream programs for ethnic minorities and Whites Journal of Counseling Psychology 43 56–64 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0022-0167.43.1.56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. M. Aldwin K. J. Sutton G. Chiara A. Spiro (1996) ArticleTitleAge differences in stress, coping, and appraisal: Findings from the normative aging Journal of Gerontology 51 179–195

    Google Scholar 

  • D. R. Atkinson R. H. Gim (1989) ArticleTitleAsian–American cultural identity and attitudes toward mental health services Journal of Counseling Psychology 36 209–212 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0022-0167.36.2.203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. R. Atkinson S. Lowe L. Matthews (1995) ArticleTitleAsian American acculturation, gender, and willingness to seek counseling Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development 23 130–138

    Google Scholar 

  • D. R. Atkinson G. Morten D. W. Sue (1993) Counseling American minorities: A Cross-Cultural Perspective EditionNumber5 W. C. Brown Dubuque, IO

    Google Scholar 

  • D. R. Atkinson J. G. Ponterotto A. R. Sanchez (1984) ArticleTitleAttitudes of Vietnamese and Anglo-American students toward counseling Journal of College Student Personnel 25 448–452

    Google Scholar 

  • C. V. Chang J. E. Myers (1997) ArticleTitleUnderstanding and counseling Korean Americans: Implications for training Counselor Education and Supervision 37 35–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen S., Sullivan N. Y., & Lu Y. E. (2000). Did Asian Americans underutilize mental health services in the 1990’s? Paper presented at the meeting of Effective Clinical Practice with Asians and Asian Americans. New York City, NY

  • C-Y. Chung R. F. Bemak (2002) ArticleTitleRevisiting the California Southeast Asian needs assessment data: An examination of refugee ethnic and gender differences Journal of Counseling and Development 111 119

    Google Scholar 

  • Clancy, K. C. (1992). Gender, help seeking, and three dimensions of emotionality: Emotional expression, emotional experience, and attitude toward emotion. (Doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1993). Dissertation Abstracts International, 53, 0656

  • Derry, C. A. (1996). The relationship of acculturation to attitudes inhibiting Indian–Americans from seeking mental health services. (Doctoral dissertation, Saybrook Institute, 1996). Dissertation Abstracts International, 57, 0795

  • E. H. Fischer J. L. Turner (1970) ArticleTitleOrientations to seeking professional help: Development and research utility of an attitude scale Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 35 79–90 Occurrence Handle5487612

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D. Y. Ho (1998) ArticleTitleIndigenous psychologies: Asian perspectives Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 29 88–103

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Kawahara (2000a) ArticleTitleCultural competency in research with Asian Americans The California Psychologist 33 28

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Kawahara (2000b) ArticleTitleThe state of Asian American psychology The California Psychologist 33 18

    Google Scholar 

  • B. S. K. Kim P. H. Yang D. R. Atkinson M. M. Wolfe S. Hong (2001) ArticleTitleCultural value similarities and differences among Asian American ethnic groups Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 7 343–361 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.7.4.343 Occurrence Handle11759271

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • H. Kim L. Rendon J. Valadez (1998) ArticleTitleStudent characteristics, school characteristics, and educational aspirations of six Asian American ethnic groups Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development 26 166–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M. T. T. (1996). Factors affecting the help-seeking preference of Asian-American college students experiencing depressive symptoms. (Doctoral dissertation, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, 1996). Dissertation Abstracts International, 57, 0068

  • R. M. Lee I. Falbo H. S. Doh S. Y. Park (2001) ArticleTitleThe Korean Diasporic experience: Measuring ethnic identity in the United States and China Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 7 207–216 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.7.3.207 Occurrence Handle11506068

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • F. T. L. Leong N. S. Wagner S. P. Tata (1995) Racial and ethnic variations in help-seeking attitudes J. G. Ponterotto J. M. Casas L. A. Suzuki C. M. Alexander (Eds) Handbook of Multicultural Counseling Sage Publications Inc Thousand Oaks CA

    Google Scholar 

  • F. T. L. Leong P. Zachar (1999) ArticleTitleGender and opinions about mental illness as predictors toward seeking professional psychological help British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 27 302–318

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Liem B. S. Lim J. H. Liem (2000) ArticleTitleAcculturation and emotion among Asian Americans Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 6 13–31 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.6.1.13 Occurrence Handle10975164

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R. W. Liu (1998) ArticleTitleEducational and career expectations of Chinese–American college students Journal of College Student Development 39 577–588

    Google Scholar 

  • J. K. Matsuoka E. Breaux D. Ryujin (1997) ArticleTitleNational utilization of mental health services by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders Journal of Community Psychology 25 141–145 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1520-6629(199703)25:2<141::AID-JCOP3>3.0.CO;2-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCaffrey, E. J. (1996). The relation of ethnic group affiliation to expectations about counseling and willingness to seek help. (Doctoral dissertation, New York University, 1995). Dissertation Abstracts International, 55, 0146

  • M. Morrisey (1997) ArticleTitleThe invisible minority: Counseling Asian Americans Counseling Today 40 21–22

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Murray (2000) ArticleTitleMore assimilated Chinese Americans hold a more Western conception of depression Monitor on Psychology 31 15

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Nah (1993) ArticleTitlePerceived problems and service delivery for Korean immigrants Social Work 38 289–296

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Okazaki S. Sue (2000) ArticleTitleImplications of test revisions for assessment with Asian Americans Psychological Assessment 12 272–280 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1040-3590.12.3.272 Occurrence Handle11021150

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D. Oyserman I. Sakamoto (1997) ArticleTitleBeing Asian American: Identity, cultural constructs, and stereotype perceptions Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 33 435–453

    Google Scholar 

  • R. A. Rhoads J. J. Lee M. Yamada (2002) ArticleTitlePanethnicity and collective action among Asian American students: A qualitative case-study Journal of College Student Development 43 876–891

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Y. Shin G. Berkson K. Crittenden (2002) ArticleTitleInformal and professional support for solving problems among Korean-speaking immigrants Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development 28 144–159

    Google Scholar 

  • T. M. Singelis W. F. Sharkey (1995) ArticleTitleCulture, self-control, and embarrassability Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 26 622–644

    Google Scholar 

  • V. S. Solberg S. Ritsma B. J. Davis S. P. Tata A. Jolly (1994) ArticleTitleAsian-American students’ severity of problems and willingness to seek help from university counseling centers: Role of previous counseling experience, gender, and ethnicity Journal of Counseling Psychology 41 275–279 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0022-0167.41.3.275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Sue (1996) Asian men in groups M. P. Andronico (Eds) Men in Groups: Insight, Interventions and Psychoeducational Work American Psychological Association Washington DC 69–80

    Google Scholar 

  • D. W. Sue (1994) ArticleTitleAsian–American mental health and help-seeking behavior: Comment on Solberg et al. (1994) Journal of Counseling Psychology 41 292–295 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0022-0167.41.3.292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Sue (2000) ArticleTitleKeynote address for the Asian American Psychological Association The California Psychologist 33 20

    Google Scholar 

  • S. P. Tata F. T. L. Leong (1994) ArticleTitleIndividualism–collectivism, social-network orientation, and acculturation as predictors of attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Chinese Americans Journal of Counseling Psychology 41 280–287 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0022-0167.41.3.280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G. J. Tedeschi F. N. Willis (1993) ArticleTitleAttitudes toward counseling among Asian international and native Caucasian students Journal of College Student Psychotherapy 7 43–54 Occurrence Handle10.1300/J035v07n04_04

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Uba (1994) Asian Americans: Personality Patterns, Identity, and Mental Health Guilford Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • U. S. Census Bureau (2000) Census 2000. Washington, DC: Author

  • J. Yamamoto S. Rhee D. Chang (1994) ArticleTitlePsychiatric disorders among elderly Koreans in the United States Community Mental Health Journal 30 17–27 Occurrence Handle8149719

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • C. Yeh (2003) ArticleTitleAge, acculturation, cultural adjustment, and mental health symptoms of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese immigrant youth Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 9 34–48 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.9.1.34 Occurrence Handle12647324

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • C. J. Yeh (2002) ArticleTitleTaiwanese students’ help-seeking attitudes Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 8 19–29 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.8.1.19 Occurrence Handle12092425

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • C. J. Yeh V. W. Wang (2000) ArticleTitleAsian American coping attitudes, sources, and practices: Implications for indigenous counseling strategies Journal of College Student Development 41 94–103

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Yi (2000) ArticleTitlePsychotherapy, culture, and self: The care of Asian Americans The California Psychologist 33 24–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Y. Ying J. L. Tsai Y. Yeh J. S. Huang (2000) ArticleTitleThe conception of depression in Chinese American college students Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 6 183–195 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.6.2.183 Occurrence Handle10910531

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Y-W. Ying P. A. Lee J. L. Tsai Y. Hung M. Lin C. T. Wan (2001) ArticleTitleAsian American college students as model minorities: An examination of their overall competence Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 7 59–74 Occurrence Handle10.1037//1099-9809.7.3.284 Occurrence Handle11244904

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • N. Zhang D. N. Dixon (2001) ArticleTitleMulticulturally responsive counseling: Effects on Asian students ratings of counselors Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development 29 253–262

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Romeria Tidwell Ph.D..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yi, S.H., Tidwell, R. Adult Korean Americans: Their Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Counseling Services. Community Ment Health J 41, 571–580 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-005-6362-2

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-005-6362-2

Keywords

Navigation