Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the stress experiences of Korean adults by employing text analysis using the keyword tagging method and to investigate the relationship between these stress experiences and the presence of depression or anxiety. An online survey was conducted for community adults residing in South Korea. Participants were asked to describe their stress experiences over the past year and lifetime, and those reporting at least one stress experience were included. Firstly, one or more keywords were coded for each stress experience. Secondly, a list of 33 stress experiences was identified by categorizing events based on the keywords or combinations of the keywords. Thirdly, the frequency of stress experiences was analyzed by gender and age group. Lastly, random forest analysis was employed to examine the relationship between the stress experiences and the presence of depression or anxiety. Among the identified stress experiences, social discrimination/isolation, caregiving stress, and family’s work-related stress emerged as important factors associated with depression. Abuse/violence/sexual crime, employment, and family stress were identified as important factors associated with anxiety. This study sheds light on the stress experiences of Korean adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights stressors specifically linked to the presence of depression and anxiety.