A Cross-Cultural Study on Psychosocial Risk Factors of Adolescent Depression between Koreans and Korean-Russians / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: In order to study a cross-cultural epidemiology of the adolescent depressives with Korean ethnicity in Korea and Russia, we compared psychosocial characteristics and risk factors of depressive disorder between two school-based populations in different sociocultural environments. METHODS: We measured psychosocial variables of 838 subjects in Korea, and 652 in Russia (Uzbekitan) using Basic Questionnaires and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) RESULTS: The cut-off point of BDI for adolescent depression in Koreans was 19 points. Higher prevalence of depression was noted in Korean adolescents (26.5%)compared to Korean-Russian adolescents (7.4%) We found signicant risk factors of adolescent depression in two study samples: female, academic failure, meeting friends less frequently, presence of chronic physical illness, interpersonal problems with parents, and same-sex and opposite-sex friends. CONCLUSIONS: Our data will provide information on cross-cultural understanding of psychosocial characteristics and risk factors in adolescent depression compared between Koreans and Korean-Russians.