Korean American family experiences of caregiving for their mentally ill adult children: an interpretive inquiry.
The purpose of this cross-cultural qualitative study is to describe and interpret the Korean American families' (KAFs') caregiving experiences for their mentally ill grown children. Seven KAF caregivers were purposefully sampled. In-depth audiotaped interviews were conducted in Korean, and Korean metaphors, images, and dreams were translated into English. This allowed for a rich explication of this study's complex caregiving phenomena. Five major themes were identified: (a) realization of children's illness, (b) battling the disease of incompetence, (c) poignant processes of caregiving, (d) suffering as a way of life, and (e) journey toward spirituality. In conclusion, incorporating transcultural nursing into core nursing curricula, recognizing the spiritual dimensions of care in nursing, and establishing culturally congruent community-based day treatment modalities and programs integrating other cultures are recommended.
Donnelly
P L
PL
Department of Nursing, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States