• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.67-80
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• 1999

This study was designed to provide the basic data of nursing intervention for alleviation of effective adjustment of cancer patients by identifying the correlation between the spiritual well-being and family support. The subjects for this study were 69 patients who were diagnosed as cancer and were admitted to a university hospital in Pusan. Data were collected during the period between December 1, 1998 and January 20, 1999 by interviewing with questionnaires. Family support questionnaire consisted of 11 questions answerable on a 5 point Likert scale developed by Kang Hyun Suk(1985). Spiritual well-being questionnaire consisted of 20 questions answerable on a 4 point Likert scale modified by Kang Jeong Ho(1996). The data were analyzed by in descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test and ANOVA using SPSS/WIN program. The results of this study were as follows. 1. The mean score for family support in cancer patients was 49.48, which indicated that cancer patients perceived their state of family support as high level. The mean score for spiritual well-being in cancer patients was 55.87, which indicated that cancer patients perceived their state of spiritual well-being as moderate level. Among the components of spiritual well-being, the mean score for religious well-being was 26.94 and for existential well-being 28.93. From the above, the mean score for existential well-being was higher than that of religious well-being. 2. There were statistically significant differences in family support according to the types of primary caregivers(F=3.48, p=0.008). The spouse caregiver showed the highest family support among the caregivers. There were statistically significant differences in spiritual well-being according to the job(F=2.20, p=0.046) and the level of perceived health status(F=2.71, p=0.05). There were statistically significant differences in religious well-being according to the religion(F=2.42, p=0.004) and the number of family members(F=3.38, p=0.040). And there were statistically significant differences in existential well-being according to the job(F=2.48, p=0.026) and the level of perceived health status(F=2.74, p=0.048). 3. There were positive correlation between spiritual well-being and the family support(r=0.481, p=0.000), between religious well-being and family support(r=0.336, p=0.008) and existential well-being and family support(r=0.519, p=0.000).

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.203-233
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• 2004

Rapid process of industrialization and modernization in Korea has caused earning differentials between the rich and the poor, the feeling of alienation followed by excessive competitions among the members of community as well as the conflict between generations. Because of those factors, Koreans have come to undergo several mental problems such as anxiety, melancholy and suicide. However, scarce concern or effort has been given to solve those mental problems in the professional field of mental health. Social work service for mental health in Korea has been delivered on the basis of the Law of Mental Health, most of which are focused on treatment or care of mental patient himself or his family. Therefore ordinary people who have no mental disorder but have desire for mental health have no way to take service in the field of public mental health except for counselling programs given by some of the private social welfare institutions. In this context, the process of clarifying the concept of mental health is demanded before we develop the mental health program. As social welfare is the practical science that helps people seek after happiness and meaningful life, so clarifying the concept of mental health is needed not only for the field of mental health itself but also for every field of social welfare. In order to achieve this purpose, this study firstly arranged concepts of mental health in Korea using Q methodology. As the result, we found 21 dimensions including spiritual one and self-wellbeing one which newly identified in this study as well as 19 dimensions of Jahoda. We also found Koreans perceive concepts of mental health as independently as 5 types of Communalist, Rationalist, Individualist, Humanist, and Religionist. Secondly, on the basis of the result, we suggested that mental health programs in social welfare should be oriented to the positive concept of mental health. This study could furnish fundamental data that enable the concept of mental health to be spread to that of the growth for a better life not limiting on that of the prevention or the treatment of the mental disorder.