검색 결과
The Effects of Discrimination Experiences on Mental Health among Youth and Middle-Aged Adults in Seoul: Parallel Mediating Effects of Perceived Social Conflict and Trust in the Social Safety Net
Park, Kyoungjae(Chung Ang University) ; Chung, Sulki(Chung Ang University) 보건사회연구 , Vol.46, No.1, pp.216-240 https://dx.doi.org/10.15709/hswr.2026.46.1.216
Abstract
This study examined the mediating effects of perceived social conflict and trust in the social safety net on the relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health. It also investigated whether these structural relationships differ between younger and middle-aged adults. Using data from the 2022 Seoul Mental Health Survey, a total of 1,570 participants (816 young adults aged 19-39 and 754 middle-aged adults aged 50-69) were analyzed. A multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was applied, with perceived discrimination as the independent variable, perceived social conflict and trust in the social safety net as mediators, and mental health (a latent variable composed of depression, anxiety, and stress) as the dependent variable. The results showed that perceived discrimination had a significant negative effect on mental health in both age groups. The indirect pathway of “perceived discrimination → perceived social conflict → mental health” was significant across both groups, while the indirect pathway of “perceived discrimination → trust in the social safety net → mental health” differed between the two groups. Among middle-aged adults, trust in the social safety net was a protective factor mitigating mental health deterioration, whereas this mediation was not significant among younger adults. These findings imply that reducing discrimination and alleviating social conflict are essential for improving mental health across generations. Furthermore, while restoring trust in existing safety-net systems is crucial for the middle-aged population, developing new, tangible forms of social safety-net policies that address the specific anxieties of younger adults is necessary.
초록
본 연구는 차별 경험이 정신건강에 미치는 영향에서 사회갈등 인식과 사회안전망 신뢰의 매개효과를 검증하고, 이 관계에서 청년과 신중년 세대 간에 차이가 있는지 규명하고자 하였다. 2022년 수행된 ‘서울시민의 정신건강 실태조사’의 데이터를 활용하여 1,570명을 대상으로 다집단 구조방정식 모형을 검증하였다. 분석 결과, 차별 경험은 두 집단 모두의 정신건강에 부정적 영향을 미쳤으며, ‘차별 경험 → 사회갈등 인식 → 정신건강’의 매개 경로는 세대 공통으로 유의하였다. 반면, ‘차별 경험 → 사회안전망 신뢰 → 정신건강’의 매개효과는 신중년층에서는 정신건강 문제 완화의 보호요인으로 작용했으나, 청년층에서는 유의하지 않았다. 이러한 결과는 차별 감소와 사회갈등 완화가 세대 공통의 과제임을 시사한다. 또한 신중년층에는 사회안전망 신뢰 회복이 중요한 반면, 청년층에는 체감할 수 있는 새로운 방식의 사회안전망 정책이 필요함을 제언한다.
A Qualitative Study of Precarious Work Environment and Health Experiences among Caregivers in South Korea
Choi, Jihee(Chung-Ang University, Institute for Community Care and Health Equity) ; Lee, Ahyoung(Seoul National University, Institute of Social Welfare) ; Choi, Bokyoung(Chung-Ang University, Institute for Community Care and Health Equity) ; Jang, Soong-Nang(Chung-Ang University) 보건사회연구 , Vol.46, No.1, pp.552-580 https://dx.doi.org/10.15709/hswr.2026.46.1.552
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between working conditions and health among caregivers, using an expanded “conceptual model for integrated approaches to the protection and promotion of worker health and safety.” The working environment was conceptualized not only as the conditions of work within institutions but also as a structural context encompassing social, political, economic environments. Deductive thematic analysis was conducted with five caregivers employed in medical institutions. The working environment was analyzed across four dimensions―physical, organizational, psychosocial, and job design―with health and wellbeing considered as an outcome dimension. Findings revealed that physical factors were characterized by a lack of rest areas, insufficient ventilation and lighting, and the use of manual hospital beds, which were associated with poor sleep quality and musculoskeletal disorders. The organizational dimension highlighted institutional gaps arising from outsourced and precarious employment contracts, including the absence of workers’ compensation. Psychosocial factors involved low social recognition and frequent experiences of violence, which were identified as key psychosocial stressors, while the job design dimension revealed excessive patient loads, unclear role boundaries, and a lack of structured training systems. In addition, the analysis revealed structural exclusion emerging from processes such as outsourcing and labor flexibility within the social, political, and economic environment. These factors interacted to affect both the physical and mental health of care workers. The study underscores that improving the working conditions of care workers is essential to enhancing the quality of care in an era where good care is increasingly valued.
초록
본 연구는 노동자 건강과 안전 보호 및 증진을 위한 통합적 접근의 확장 개념 모형을 적용하여 간병인의 노동환경과 건강 경험을 탐색한 연구이다. 특히, 노동환경을 기관 내 업무환경에 국한하지 않고, 사회·정치·경제적 맥락과 제도적 환경의 구조적 맥락까지 포함하였다. 이를 위해 의료기관에 종사하는 간병인 5명을 중심으로 연역적 주제분석을 실시하고, 노동조건을 물리적요소, 조직적요소, 심리사회적요소, 직무설계의 네 가지 하위요소로 구분하고, 건강과 웰빙을 포함하여 총 다섯 가지 요소를 중심으로 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 물리적 요소에서는 휴게공간 부재, 환기와 채광시설 부족, 수동식 침대 사용 등이 확인되었다. 조직적 요소에서는 용역 중심의 특수고용 형태, 고용보험 및 산업재해보상보험의 부재로 인한 제도적 공백이 드러났다. 심리사회적 요소에서는 낮은 사회적 인정, 폭력 경험 등이 주요 요소로 작용했으며, 직무설계 요소로는 과중한 환자 수, 불명확한 역할 경계, 교육체계 부재 등이 확인되었다. 또한, 사회·정치·경제적 맥락과 제도적 환경의 요소에서는 외주화와 노동유연화 과정에서 나타나는 제도적 배제가 결합된 구조적 현상이 드러났다. 이러한 각 요소들은 상호작용하며 간병인의 신체적 및 정신적 건강에 직간접적으로 영향을 주고 있었다. 본 연구는 좋은 돌봄의 중요성이 더욱 강조되는 현시점에서 돌봄의 질을 높이기 위해서는 돌봄노동자의 노동환경을 개선하는 것이 선행되어야 함을 보여준다.