title: The mental health of Korean transnational mothers: a scoping review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A recent migration trend from Korea is transnational family arrangement where mothers migrate with children to English-speaking countries, while the fathers stay in the home country. Mothers in these families may experience more challenges than other family members because they have to adjust to a new country, new parenting role and family separation. But little is known about their mental health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article scopes the evidences in the literature on impact of transnational family arrangement and migration on the mental health of Korean transnational mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive search was undertaken in 16 databases and 17 studies were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The evidence on the mental health of Korean transnational mothers was analyzed into two themes: (1) challenges and life difficulties, (2) psychological and emotional states. In relation to the life difficulties such as role changes, adaptation in the host country and lack of social support, the mothers reported anxiety, depression, increased psychological distress and feeling of isolation. Positive perceptions such as sense of empowerment and increased self-confidence were also reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence suggests that there may be a potential for vulnerability to mental health problems in Korean transnational mothers. More research is needed to assess their mental health and to identify the risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Social Aetiology of Mental Illness training program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jaemin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Health Equity, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada Collaborative Program in Addiction Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Agic
authors.affiliation: Social Aetiology of Mental Illness training program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Kwame.McKenzie@camh.ca.
authors.forename: Kwame
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKenzie
mesh_terms: D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: Korean; Mental health; migration; mother; transnational family