The Lived Experiences of Immigrant Women Married to Men with Schizophrenia in Korea

Background and Purpose:  International marriages between Korean men and Southeast Asian women have increased since the 1990s (Statistics Korea, 2008).  One in two marriage immigrants are found to suffer from domestic violence (Kim, 2009).  In 2010, a 20-year old Vietnamese woman was killed by her Korean husband shortly after their marriage, bringing nationwide attention to international marriages involving mental illness.  Despite 2011 legislation requiring spouses of international marriage to disclose mental illness, little research attention has been given to the experiences of immigrant women married to Korean men with mental illness (Kim, Ahn & Kang, 2010).  This study helps fill this gap by using grounded theory qualitative research methodology to conceptualize how immigrant women married to men with Schizophrenia in Korea experience and cope with marital difficulties. 

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve immigrant women married to men with Schizophrenia in Korea to explore their lived experiences. Recruitment was done through 132 mental health centers and 208 rehabilitation centers to find individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia, married to immigrant women, and with at least one child.  Participants were from Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, the Philippines and Cambodia, and all were married through broker agencies. The mean age was 29 with a range from 21 to 40. The mean length of marriage was 4 years 3 months, with the shortest being 12 months and the longest 10 years. Participants predominantly lived in rural areas.  Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using grounded theory methods.  Open constant comparison and coding was used to categorize data, and then to develop a conceptual theoretical model.

 

Findings:  Data analysis resulted in 165 concepts, 24 subcategories, and 11 super-ordinate categories. Participants described marital situations characterized by difficulty in the emotional, economic, familial, and cultural realms. Each struggled with how to cope with their husband’s mental health problems.  Many shared stories of frustration and victimization, yet also responded in ways indicating strength, adaptability, and survival.  Dedication to children, parental responsibility, and cultural beliefs prohibiting divorce served as factors keeping women in unhealthy marriages.  Four key stages of marital life emerged: “disappointment”, “justification”, and finally “survival”.  The central theme was expressed in the metaphor “enduring and taking root in infertile soil.”  Distinct coping patterns for participants emphasized acceptance, adaptation, interdependence, and reality-escaping. A conceptual model was developed that explains the full range of experiences and coping phenomena.

Conclusion and Implications: This study provides insight into the intertwined difficulties of family life and mental illness as they intersect with immigration and international marriage.  Access to support services is limited for many immigrants in Korea and elsewhere.  It is important to create family support policy that takes into account the dual needs of families with immigrants and individuals with mental illness. Specifically tailored services should be offered by social workers and social services agencies.  Psychosocial education programs may help reduce stigma and improve the ability of extended family members to support such women, and to prevent domestic violence.  Interventions should also emphasize education on spousal caregiving for those with mental illness.