Examining the Relationship between Domestic Violence and Depression among Koreans: The Role of Self-esteem and Social Support as Mediators

Abstract

Domestic violence is a prevalent social issue in Korea affecting a significant number of people every day. It is thus important to examine how the experience of domestic violence affects their mental health to better address their needs. Using stress-coping theory as a theoretical framework, this study examines the domestic violence and depression relationship among Korean men and women. Two aspects of self-esteem and informal and formal social support are examined as potential mediators of this relationship. The data was the first wave of Korean Welfare Panel Study data including 2477 individuals with experiences of abuse. Structural equation modeling procedures were used for analyses. Domestic violence was significantly associated with self-worth, self-deprecation, and depression. The experiences of violence eroded self-worth while reinforcing self-deprecation and those with more exposure to violence showed a higher level of depression. Self-deprecation played a significant role in mediating the effect of domestic violence on depression. However, different findings were yielded for social support. While informal social support was significantly associated with domestic violence, formal social support was not associated with domestic violence. Findings suggest for mental health interventions targeting self-esteem, particularly the diminution of self-deprecation in working with the victims. Suggestions for future research and implications for social work are also discussed.