The role of social work for foreign residents in an epidemic : the MERS crisis in the Republic of Korea

This article explores the experiences of foreign residents during the period of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in (South) Korea and discusses from a social work perspective the implications of their experiences and their needs. Data were obtained from interviews with 22 foreigners who either live and work or study in Korea. The data were then interpreted using a thematic analysis approach in a multilingual research context. The findings from the study show that foreign residents experienced a wide range of social and psychoemotional difficulties during the MERS health threat. Implications for social work practice in an epidemic emergency are presented.