Confirming the multidimensionality of psychological well-being among Korean immigrant mothers in the United States

Abstract

Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being (PWB) Scale is a theoretically derived instrument that focuses on six dimensions of eudaimonic well-being. Although the PWB scale has been widely used in both clinical and general samples with different sociodemographic characteristics, its factor structure within first-generation Korean immigrant mothers requires examination, as they often face sociocultural challenges due to immigration-related experiences (e.g., acculturation stress, being socially and culturally segregated, following heritage cultural obligations to be a “wise mother and good wife,” or taking less prestigious jobs) that could negatively influence their well-being. This study examined the factor structure of an 18-item version of the PWB scale in a sample of 169 first-generation Korean immigrant mothers of young children in the United States. A second-order confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original factor structure of the PWB scale. More importantly, high correlations among some of the PWB subscales suggested that the PWB factors may not be distinct from each other and the number of factors should be reduced. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the four highly correlated factors in subsequent analyses, and three new factors (Satisfaction with Life, Goal Orientation, and Positive Self-Perceptions) were identified. The newly derived PWB factors were negatively correlated with mothers’ depressive symptoms. These findings advanced our understanding of psychological well-being in first-generation Korean immigrant mothers and highlighted the need to consider sociocultural factors in mental health research with this population.