The Seed Journal Issue 1 - Depression (English Version).pdf

7/30/2019 The Seed Journal Issue 1 - Depression (English Version).pdf

1/13

THE SEED JANUARY 2011http://www.msgeneration.com/

Cover by Sky J. Kim (www.skyjkim.

Depression:The Flu of the Heart

God weeping for His children


2/13

THE SEED JANUARY 2011http://www.MSGeneration.com/

http://www.MSGeneration.com/

CONTENTS

THE SEED


3/13


Depressionby Margaret Park, Ed.M. in Risk and Prevention, CAS Candidate in School Counseling

Table of Contents

MSG emphasizes six developmental aspects the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, moral,physical, and social - and their interaction wi

the cultural identity of being Korean America

-Dr. Josephine

Mustard Seed Generation (MSG) began its journey in 2007 with amission to facilitate holistic development in youths, young adults, andparents of Korean descent. It emphasizes six developmental aspects -spiritual, emotional, intellectual, moral, physical, and social - and theirinteraction with the cultural identity of being Korean American. MSGdisseminates information via conferences in a unique format that

combines educational colloquiums, group counseling, and spiritual revhighlightingsocio-emotionalissues related to "Korean Americanness."MSGs most recent efforts can be found in this first issue of the MSGJournal: The Seed, which is available both in English and Korean. Hereyou will find practical and useful information on depression. It is The Segoal to place meaningful and helpful information into the hands of Koreeverywhere, and were excited to launch this new initiative.

INTRODUCTION

(2) You have lostinterest or pleasure inthings you previouslyliked to do.

(3) Your appetite ismuch less or muchgreater than usual and

you have lost orgained weight.

(4) You have a lot oftrouble sleeping orsleep too much.

(5) You are soagitated, restless, orslowed down thatothers have begun tonotice.

Everyone feels sad once in awhile but the feeling of sadnessusually goes away after a briefperiod of time. Did you knowthat one in six adolescentsliving in the United Statesreports depressive symptoms?

According to DSM-IV (criteria

used by mental healthprofessionals) you have MajorDepressive Disorder if youhave had an episode ofDepression lasting at least twoweeks, with at least five of thefollowing symptoms:

(1) You are sad, blue, tearfuloften.

(6) You are tired on adaily basis and have noenergy.

(7) You feel worthless orexcessively guilty aboutthings you have done ornot done.

(8) You have troubleconcentrating, thinkingclearly, or making lifedecisions.

(9) You feel you wouldbe better off dead orhave thoughts aboutkilling yourself

Depression is command the consequenof not addressing it be harmful. Depresin youth is positivelylinked to poor schooperformance, truancrunning away, subs

abuse, conductproblems, diminishephysical health statand suicide.

If you or someone yknow may havedepression, talk tosomeone and reachfor support. Alwaysremember that younot alone.

Josephine M. Kim, Ph.D.,LMHC, NCC, MSG FoundingExecutive Director andLecturer on Education inPrevention Science andPractice/CAS Counselingatthe Harvard Graduate School

of Education


4/13


Depression: Help Seeking Patternsby Shin-ye Kim, Ed.M. in Risk and Prevention

Asian Americans are well known for being diligentand hard working individuals with a strong intent to pursuea good education. However, these stereotypes lead us tooverlook the help and support that many Asian Americansactually need. Many researchers have shown that Asian

Americans are under-represented at counseling centersand have lower rates of self-referral than other ethnicgroups. Even among Asian Americans, Korean Americansare less willing to seek help in terms of their mental well-being compared to other Asian ethnic groups. They arealso more likely than most other groups to prematurely

drop out of treatment.

When it comes to depression, Korean Americans sufferdisproportionately; they report more depressive moodsymptoms than the majority population in a collegestudent sample. In a study that examined Korean

Americans and their help-seeking behaviors for treatmentof depression, the results showed that most of theparticipants who did not seek professional help didrecognize that they were experiencing depression but alsodid not seek the help they sorely needed.

WHAT PREVENTS US FROMSEEKING PROFESSIONAL HEL

One of the biggest inhibitions toseeking professional help is thestigma attached to mental healthservices among the Korean-

American population. In other worKorean Americans infrequent use mental health services is anindication of how the salience ofshame and guilt - which are two covalues by which Korean American

are raised - dictate their socialbehaviors including the seeking ofcounseling services (Kim, 2005).

Another factor that keeps KoreanAmericans from getting professionhelp is a strong sense ofperfectionism. Koreans have a higadherence to family recognitionthrough achievement, which involvavoiding occupational or education

failures that may bring shame to thfamily. The desire to please theirparents through high academicachievement, coupled with theparental pressure for success, ofteleads Korean-American youth toacademic stress, poor self-image,and meager performance (Kim,2005).

COUNSELING: IS IT ONLY FORPEOPLE WHO ARE CRAZY ANUNSUCCESSFUL?

Many people who are in counselinare experiencing normal, everydaproblems that everyone facesregularly. The stress from theseproblems can accumulate andbecome overwhelming if they areignored.

1


5/13


DEPRESSION: HELP SEEKING PATTERNS (continued)

Often stress from changes in life - positive or negative -can lead a person into a place in life where they mightbenefit from receiving support from a counselor. Thesenormal, healthy people are seeing a counselor to workthrough a specific problem or to figure out why they arenot as content as they wish to be.

Other common reasons people turn to a counselor involvegetting help for depression, anxiety, eating disorders,relationship problems, perfectionism, or adjustmentissues.

What is Postpartum Depression?

I thought about putting mybaby in the dishwasher.Frightening yet very real.Dangerous thoughts shroud theminds of some mothers whoexperience PostpartumDepression (PPD). This

diagnosis may be unfamiliar tomost Koreans, since it is notcommonly recognized or talkedabout; however, strikingly,approximately 15 percent ofnew mothers each year reportthat they experience PPD. MostPPD cases do not requireintensive interventions, andstandard treatments such ascounseling and medication

by Sarah Sunah Hyun, Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology

suffice.

However, it is important to be aware of PDD since there aresevere cases: women who cannot stop obsessing over theterrible things that might happen to their babies or who thinkabout hurting their children and themselves. The birth of a babytriggers powerful emotions that women usually do not experienceeveryday. Emotions may vary from excitement and joy to fearand anxiety. In fact, many new mothers experience what iscommonly referred to as the baby blues after childbirth,struggling with frequent mood swings and crying spells.

Some new mothers experiea more severe, long-lastingform of this type of depressiwhich is PPD.

As the signs and symptomsbecome more intense andprolonged, eventually thesesymptoms not only interfere

with the new mothers abilitycare for her baby but alsoprohibit her from maintaininher daily routines. PPDsymptoms may includesymptoms of depression anthoughts of harming oneselfthe baby.

It is important to recognize timportance of finding effecti

treatment options for PPDpatients. Because depressiois never anyones fault and medical illness that requirestreatment, it is important forPPD patients to find propercare for themselves. It isbeneficial to have a good sonetwork, where the mother find warm support from famfriends, and partners.

2


6/13


Depression and Suicide:THE SUICIDES OF KOREAN CELEBRITIES

by Amy Cheon, Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology

In the Korean culture, there hbeen a pervasive stigma agaseeking mental health care. Aperson seeking help may riskbeing ostracized by theirworkplace and/or people arothem, and they also risk bein

labeled as crazy or out ofcontrol.

However, the notion of seekinmental health services is slowchanging. As the suicide raterise, people are beginning torealize just how prevalentdepression is and how seriouconsequences of it could be. result, the importance of men

health care is becoming moreemphasized now more than ebefore (University of London,2009, October 1).

Are you feeling hopeless desperate? Please call thNational Suicide PreventiLifeline at 1-800-273-TA

(8255), a free, 24-hour hot

available to anyone in nee

South Korea s suicide rate is currently the highest amongall industrialized nations. At least nine South Korean celebritysuicides have been reported in the past five years. Starting withthe suicide of actress Lee Eun-ju, who ended her life on February

22, 2005 followed by the death of other influential actresses andactors including Choi Jin-sil (October 2, 2008), her brother ChoiJin-young (March 29, 2010) and Park Yong-ha (June 30, 2010),celebrity suicide episodes continue to persist in Korean society tothis day.

In addition to celebrity suicides, suicides of many influentialpolitical figures have also been publicized in the media. Especiallythe death of South Korea s former president, Roh Moo-hyun,brought grief to the entire nation. Studies show that suicides ofthese influential figures could promote what is called copycat

suicide, which is the replication of another suicide.

The suicide of Choi Jin-sil increased the overall South Koreansuicide rate by 70 percent. The reasons behind each suicide vary,but the common denominator seems to be the untreated effect ofdepression. Consider the words they wrote before their deaths: Ican't begin to fathom the countless agonies down the road, and Mad, depressed, and overworked. Depression, also known as the common-cold of mental illness, occurs among all social andeconomic classes, and when it is neglected and untreated, it canresult in detrimental consequences such as suicide.

3 4

5

6


7/13


Korean Cultureand Depression

by SooHyun Baek, Ed.M. inHuman Development and Psychology

According to studies on depression among AsianAmericans, depression is found to be more prevalentamong Korean Americans compared to other Asiansubgroups such as the Chinese, Filipinos, and Japanese

(Kim & Chun 1993). Although many factors are associatedwith this finding, Korean cultural characteristics is one ofthe most influential factors that contribute to this reality. Interms of a philosophical foundation, Korean culture hasbeen strongly affected by Confucianism, developed byConfucius, which set the tone of the development of theEast Asian culture including China, Taiwan, Japan, andKorea (Liu, 2002).

By Confucian tradition, the man who has control over hisfeelings is praised as Gunja (;, the noble man);

therefore, self-restraint is highly encouraged (Tang, 1992).Korean culture is influenced by this tradition, and we areoften taught to repress feelings at an early age. Theemphasis on self-restraint often forms a vulnerable groundamong Korean Americans and can lead to many mentalhealth problems, such as depression. This is because self-restraint fosters internalization of stressors that occur ineveryday life, such as stress that comes from theacculturating process that is required when fitting into themainstream culture as a minority.

Due to the internalization, the way Korean Americansexpress emotional difficulties is more indirect compared totheir Western counterparts. For example, they often reportphysical illness instead of directly expressing feelingsbecause physical complaints are much more culturallyacceptable than emotional ones (Tang, 1992). Since thissomatization of mental illnesses is unfamiliar toconventional Western counseling, it thwarts Korean

Americans who are suffering from depression. This meansthat those who really need help are not being

diagnosed and treated in a timelymanner (Kim, 2005). It also meansthat they fail to learn appropriatecoping strategies and problem-solv

skills that could help to lower theintensity of the felt depression. As aresult, people often default to extremyet commonly seen strategies insociety, such as suicide (Kim, 2011

Korean culture plays a critical role ithe prevalence of depression amonKorean Americans by shaping the wdistress is expressed and managedorder to address the issue ofdepression appropriately and effectin the Korean American population,important to first understand the cuimplications.

Mental health service providers will able to provide better services toKorean Americans by being aware the cultural effects of depressionamong Korean Americans.

7


8/13


Cultural TraumaA PERSONAL STORYAnonymous

That was my first day of school in America. My short blackhair (since all middle and high school students in Koreahave to keep their hair at a certain length), almond-shaped eyes and yellow skin tone made me a stranger inthis country. It was probably just harmless teasing from alittle kid (and he probably wouldnt even remember doingit), but that memory became permanently etched in myhead, and I remember that incident as if it happenedyesterday.

I moved to the U.S. by myself when I was thirteen. Sincethen, I have experienced the pain of not being able tocommunicate with people due to a language barrier. Ihave been carrying with me the cold isolation I felt

because of my foreigner looks. Everyday was a battle,and I can recall eating lunch in the bathroom or in thecorner of the parking lot. I did not want to talk to anyone orhave anyone talk to me, because I did not know how torespond. Sometimes for hours, I would not speak toanyone. I would tell myself everyday, I hate being an

Asian. I hate having yellow skin. I hate my tongue for notbeing able to speak English. I am so worthless. AlthoughI had been a perfectly healthy teenager, I eventuallydeveloped a speech impediment, psychological insecurity,and even depression.

Back then, I didnt quite know what I wexperiencing. As a thirteen year-old gwas not aware of concepts such as rsexism, or other forms of discriminatio

It was a painful experience for me; yefirst day of school changed not only hface the world now but also how I wandevote myself to helping others in simsituations. Through it, I became moreaware of people who are of different rbackgrounds, and cultures. I also nowunderstand that many children face sform of trauma in life, which hurt themseverely.

For those who may be battling with sistruggles, just as I did, I want to say thyou. Please know that you are NOT aand remind yourself that you did not cit to happen. It is not because you aregood enough. One day, you will becostronger person who can look back ansmile. I now love my tongue for beingto speak two languages, and I truly beI am worth it.

Are you a boy or girl?

A brutally long giggle followed andechoed in my ears for a long while. Iturned around, hoping this questionwas not directed at me; however, whenI looked into the cold and cruel eyes ofa person whose gaze was targeted atme, I realized it was me that he wasteasing. I wanted to angrily demand anapology and stand up for myself in this

crucial moment, but it was as if mytongue froze in my mouth. My inabilityto speak English fluently at the timewas holding me back, so instead, Iquickly did what I could to hide myflushed and mortified face.


9/13


Cultural Corner:

Korean New Yearby SooHyun Baek, Ed.M. inHuman Development and Psychology

Seollal (, New Years day of the Lunar calendar) is oneof the biggest holidays in Korea along with Chuseok (, 15th

day of the 8th month of the Lunar calendar). Since the word Seol

means the beginning of a new year and Lal (originally, Nal)means a day, Seollal implies the first day of the year.

n the morning on Seollal, many Koreans observe (, a

memorial service for ancestors), wearing Hanbok (, Korean

raditional costume), to give thanks to their ancestors for theirvirtues. After the ritual, they do Sebae (, New Years Bow) to

elders in their family, such as grandparents, parents, uncles andaunts, wishing them a long, healthy, and peaceful life in the newyear. In return, the elders usually give some money, calledSebaetdon (), to their children in acknowledgment of their

bow.

A bowl of Tteokguk is staple (, a traditional rice cake soup).

Since the cultural significance of eating Tteokguk means that onegrows a year older, some children choose to have multiple bowlso age faster, while others refuse to eat it in order to avoidgaining a year. Additionally, Koreans play various traditionalgames with their families and friends on Seollal, such as Yutnori), Yeonnaligi (, kite flying), Nolttwigi (,

seesaw-like game for women), Jegichagi (, shuttlecock

kicking), and Paengichigi (, top-spinning game).

12

11


10/13


Don't panic; just keep deepeningthe empathic connection, whichin itself can relief the person'spanic/worry. Job's friends were

most helpful when they sat andwept with Job (Job 2:11-13); itwas when they tried to giveadvice and judge him that theystarted to do damage (Job 4through the remainder of thebook).

It's often helpful to ask theperson how long s/he has beenfeeling this way; this generally

will give you a pretty good ideawhat problem is driving thehopelessness. Interestingly, bydoing this, the person oftencomes to an awareness of whatthe real issue is as well, aspeople are often blind to what itis that's causing the emotionalpain until you help them toreflect on it.

Seek to ascertain if the person istruly suicidal. Find out if theyhave an actual plan, how lethalthe plan is, how long they havebeen thinking of the plan, if

Question and Answerby Dr. Frank MacArthur, Psy.D.

they have ever acted out asuicidal gesture in the past, ifthey have intent (vs. a fantassuicide they don't intend to ac

on), if they have close friendsfamily members that havecommitted or attempted suicithey have any recent majorlosses (e.g., career, romanceetc.). The more of these issuethe more serious the situation

Get them to a mental healthprofessional for an assessmeIf you have any reason to bel

the person is an immediatedanger to him/herself, get thean emergency room orpsychiatric hospital for immedassessment. Note that somepeople will be suicidal but thewill downplay it; if you suspecthis is the case, dont hesitatecall the ER to get their input eif the person denies an intentattempt suicide.

One more thing...as Christianis helpful to pray with a persothe person is open to this.However, be careful not to "ospiritualize" by simply giving tperson Bible verses. Rather,LIVE the Bible verses byempathizing (e.g., Romans12:15; James 1:19a). Do not to use guilt to shame the pers

out of their feelings (Rom. 8:1

Don't assume you need to caout demons. Remember that and Elijah were godly men, bthey, too, expressed wishes tlonger live due to despair (Jo3:11-26; I Kings 19:3-5). It cahappen to any one of us, andtimes, it is a normal reaction tlife.

What can I initially say tosomeone who says "I want todie. I have no reason for living."Could you give me the words to

use in my response?

We tend to panic upon hearingsomeone say something like this.Following James' admonition to be,"quick to listen," I would suggestfocusing on deeply empathizingwith the person. For instance, youmight say, "You are really feelinghopeless right now, like life justdoesn't feel worth the pain and

anguish."

Help them put words to their feelingstates, not just talk about thoughts,deas, or situations (though theseare also important to discuss). Staywith the empathy; if you areaccurately empathizing, the personwill go into the feeling even more,which can be frightening for thecounselor at first.


11/13


need to make this high priorityif the world is ever to see thatChrist truly has power to give us,"life to the full" (John 10:10).

What is confidentiality?

Confidentiality is the assurancethat whatever you say tosomeone will not be passed on tosomeone else. If you know thatyou can trust someone to not talkabout your situation withsomeone else, you will feel muchfreer to speak your darkestthoughts, which is necessary inorder to be healed (see James5:16).

Mental health professionals arelegally obligated to maintainconfidentiality, but anyone whowants others to be confidentsharing their thoughts or baringtheir souls had better have areputation as being tight-lipped!

CONTINUED

Frank Mac Arthur, Psy.D.graduated from the Rosemea

School of Psychology at BiolaUniversity (MA in 1993, Psy.D

in 1996). His career goal is tdevelop the ability of the BodChrist to bring about spiritual,emotional, and relational hea

through the application ofScripture in the context of soucounseling methodology.

He emphasizes, "the priesthoof all believers," seeking to

empower all believers--in the

context of community--to be apart of the healing process,rather than relying solely on

professional counselors.

As such, he serves several achurches as a consultant in thdevelopment of small groupsthe church, as well as pastorateam development. Dr. Mac

Arthur can be reached at (20

669-6320.

Where can I go for help if Idisplay signs of depression?

Mental health professionals are

the ones to turn to for help. Theyhave been trained to deal withdepression and suicidality. Somepastors are very helpful, but notall pastors are in fact adequatelytrained in professionalcounseling.

I long for the day that areasonable first step for adepressed person is to find agood church and pastor that areskilled to intervene. I currentlyam in the process of developingsmall group fellowships that areable to address such issues in amanner that leads people toChrist and his healing powerthrough his Church. There is amovement of the Spirit amongbelievers to empower Christ'sbody to be a healing agent; we

Steven Thomas (Ed.M.) is a Harvard Graduate School of Education alum. He is a free lance artist withexperience in many mediums and uses his art to create dialogue and awareness on issues such asracism and the marginalization of groups in America. His work can be found on the Uncommon Groundwebsite at http://uncommonground962.wordpress.com/

Question and Answer


12/13


13/13

Margaret Park is currently pursuing her CertificatAdvanced Study in Counseling at Harvard GraduSchool of School of Education (HGSE). Margarealso is a graduate of the Risk and Prevention Proat HGSE, where she earned an M.Ed. as a prevespecialist. Prior to pursuing her graduate studiesHGSE, Margaret earned a M. Ed. in Childhood S

Education from Hunter College, spent three

Margaret Park, Ed.M.,C.A.S.Candidate,Editor-In-Chief, The SeedJournal, Mustard SeedGeneration

THE SEED

years teaching in New York City, and taught one year in South Korea on aFulbright fellowship. She is interested in counseling and teaching underseryouth and is on the path to becoming a school counselor. Margaret is honoto serve as the Editor-in-Chief of the MSG newsletter. She hopes that thenewsletter will raise awareness on various mental health issues and benefthe readers. For any questions regarding this newsletter, please contactMargaret at [email protected] [email protected].

JONG KWANJK PARK,M.A. INCOUNSELINGPSYCHOLOGY

ELIZABETH KIM,ED.M. INHUMAN DEV. &PSYCHOLOGY

SARAH SUNAHHYUN, ED.M.HUMAN DEV. PSYCHOLOGY

SHIN-YE KIM,ED.M. INRISK &PREVENTION

SAMUELODAMAH,ED.M. IN ARTS

Newsletter Design Team:

Editors:

JASON NAM,B.A. CANDIDATE

Writers:

AMY CHEON,ED.M. IN HUMANDEV. &PSYCHOLOGY

SOOHYUN BED.M. IN HUDEV. &PSYCHOLOG
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

The Seed Journal Issue 1 - Depression (English Version).pdf