Abstract

Purpose: This study analyzes the role of mental health social workers in promoting disaster recovery in South Korea by reframing recovery processes through a supply chain and distribution perspective. The study addresses knowledge gaps on how cultural values, family honor concerns, and mental-health stigma affect the distribution of psychosocial recovery resources. Research design, data and methodology: An integrated secondary analysis of data from 2010–2023 was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. The dataset includes responses from 1,247 mental health practitioners and 3,456 disaster victims. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to identify key predictors influencing recovery outcomes across the recovery-support supply chain. Results: Findings indicate that no social support (0.34, p<0.001), cultural adaptation (0.28, p<0.001), and community resilience (0.26, p<0.001) are the strongest predictors, explaining 78% of recovery-success variability. Major cultural obstacles—mental-health stigma (78.2% negative influence) and family-honor issues (61.4% negative influence)—function as distribution bottlenecks, limiting access to essential services despite strong counseling (87.3%) and psychiatric service availability (91.6%). Conclusions: Although South Korea maintains a well-developed mental-health service supply chain, a critical distribution gap exists in advocacy services (45.7%). Strengthening culturally responsive supply-chain integration is essential to ensure equitable distribution of disaster-recovery resources and improve long-term recovery outcomes.