Conjugal Violence and Mental Health of Korean Elderly Women

  • Kim Jae-Yop (Dept. of Social Welfare, Yonsei University) ;
  • Yang Hae-Won (Dept. of Social Welfare, Chongshin University) ;
  • Kim Hee-Soo (Dept. of Social Welfare, Korea Bible University)
  • Published : 2005.12.01

Abstract

The purposes of this article is to assess the current status of conjugal violence among elderly women and to examine the relationship between conjugal violence and the mental health status of elderly women in Korea. The results of this study are; (1) the largest proportion (44.9%) of elderly women experienced verbal violence, followed by minor physical violence (35.5%), severe physical violence (13.1%), and sexual violence (5.6%); (2) the mental health status of elderly women who have been exposed to violence was worse than that of elderly women who have not. In conclusion, this article argues that interventions for better marital relationships among elderly couples are needed and comprehensive programs for improvement of mental health are also needed for elderly women in general.

Keywords

References

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