What is it about?
Multicultural adolescents in Korea often face challenges with mental health. This study found that adolescents with foreign-born parents — especially mothers from countries like China and the Philippines — were more likely to experience depression, worries, or social withdrawal. Girls were more affected than boys. Adolescents whose parents had higher education levels tended to be better off psychologically. Interestingly, those with lower academic performance sometimes reported higher life satisfaction. These results suggest that family background, language, and academic pressure all play a role in the mental well-being of multicultural adolescents.
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Why is it important?
We examine how the country of birth of parents affects the mental health of multicultural adolescents in South Korea. This is important because South Korea is experiencing rapid demographic shifts, with a rising number of families formed through international marriage — yet support systems for their children are not keeping pace. We show that a) adolescents with foreign-born mothers, especially from developing countries, are more likely to experience depression, worry, and social withdrawal, and b) parental education, gender, academic stress, and language spoken at home all shape adolescents' psychological well-being in distinct ways. This work is timely and unique because few large-scale, data-driven studies in South Korea have explored how multicultural identity intersects with mental health outcomes. It helps policymakers, schools, and families better understand where interventions are most needed — and gives visibility to a growing but underserved segment of society.
Perspectives
I hope this article shines a light on an often overlooked topic the mental health of multicultural adolescents and shows that behind every data point is a young person trying to find their place in a rapidly changing society. In a country like South Korea, where cultural homogeneity has long been the norm, these adolescents often go unnoticed, and so do the emotional challenges they quietly carry. What I really hope is that readers whether they're parents, teachers, students, or policymakers come away with a deeper appreciation for how culture, family background, and even language shape a adolescent’s inner world. If this study sparks even one conversation about how we can better support multicultural adolescents, or makes someone think differently about the invisible barriers others might be facing, then it has done its job. More than anything, I hope it helps people realize that mental well-being isn’t just about clinical diagnosis, it’s about belonging, identity, and understanding.
Abdullatif Ghafary
Yonsei University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Association between parents’ country of birth and multicultural adolescents’ psychological well-being in South Korea: A study on depression, worries, life satisfaction, and social withdrawal, PLOS Mental Health, June 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000356.
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