Expatriates and community : identifying the association between sense of community and depression among expatriates living in South Korea

Abstract

The number of expatriates living in South Korea is steadily increasing. As expatriates, they are at greater risk of mental health disorders such as depression. Research has shown that depression may be mediated by sense of community. This research study sought to explore the relationship between Sense of Community and depression among expatriates in the Republic of Korea. The Sense of Community Index- 2 (SCI-2) and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to measure sense of community and depression. Two hundred expatriates in South Korea were recruited to participate in the study using social media. No association was found between sense of community and depression among expatriates living in South Korea. However, an association was found between depression among expatriates in South Korea and nationality. Non-Americans were found to be 3.3 times more likely to have high levels of depression when compared with Americans.