A 7-year follow-up study on the mental health of North Korean defectors in South Korea.

This study was conducted to describe the relationship of past trauma and current stress on the mental health of North Korean (NK) defectors living in South Korea 7 years after a baseline assessment. Of the 200 who participated in the initial study, 106 participated in follow-up. Previous data regarding past traumatic events experienced in North Korea and during defection, past posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and their current stress levels were correlated with the participants' current mental health status including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The rate of PTSD in the sample and the scores on the PTSD symptom scale decreased significantly from the baseline. The participants' current mental health was negatively related to previous traumatic experiences in North Korea and past symptoms of PTSD, but unrelated to previous trauma experienced during defection. In addition, although current mental health was negatively related to only current culture-related stress, it was unrelated to the level of current ordinary life stress. The results of this study suggest that PTSD symptoms decreased during the 7 years between assessments, and that current culture-related stress is the most important variable related to the mental health of NK defectors living in South Korea.

The factors affecting the development of national identity as South korean in north korean refugees living in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to observe the factors that influence the development of national identity of North Korean refugees who have resettled in South Korea. METHODS: The study population was comprised of 500 North Korean refugees who immigrated to South Korea in 2007. The variables measured national identity as South Korean, a scale for discrimination perceived during daily life, a social for supporting social network, a for childhood trauma experience, traumatic experiences in North Korea, and traumatic experiences during the escape process. Factor analysis was conducted on the result from the scale for national identity as South Korean which produced 4 factors including national consciousness, positive emotions, positive values, and negative values. Multiple regression was done to identify how variables such as demographic data, discrimination, social network, and past trauma had influenced each of 4 factors. RESULTS: National identity was negatively related by traumatic experience during childhood, perceived discrimination, and positively influenced by social networks. Positive emotion was related negatively to education level in North Korea and perceived discrimination, but positively related to traumatic experiences in North Korea. Negative value was related positively age and perceived discrimination but negatively related to supporting social network. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggests that promoting social networks, decreasing discrimination and healing past traumas were important factors for North Korean refugees in South Korea to facilitate a new national identity as a South Korean.

Mental health and quality of life of North Korean defectors living in Japan.

The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of migration of North Korean defectors to different host countries on the mental health and quality of life of the migrants by comparing three subject groups: North Korean defectors living in Japan, a group of Japanese workers living in Japan (for comparison), and North Korean defectors living in South Korea. The North Korean defectors living in Japan scored significantly higher on the Beck Depression Inventory, and also scored lower across all domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment than the other two groups. However, no significant difference in the overall quality of life score was observed between the North Korean defectors living in Japan and the Japanese workers, while the North Korean defectors living in South Korea scored significantly higher as compared to both. These findings suggest that the insecurity of social factors because of poor fluency in the language of the host country, unemployment and unclear nationality, and the limited support system may contribute to the poor mental health and low quality of life of North Korean defectors living in Japan. Migration may promote a sense of achievement and improve the overall quality of life, but attention must be paid to the pervasive depression in these migrants.

Correlation between traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder among North Korean defectors in South Korea.

The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea has been increasing rapidly since 1994. Two hundred North Korean defectors in South Korea were studied to identify their experiences of traumatic events in North Korea and during defection, and the correlation with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews and assisted defectors in performing a self-report assessment of this survey. The study questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, the Traumatic Experiences Scale for North Korean Defectors, and the PTSD part of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Korean version. Prevalence rate of PTSD in defectors was 29.5%, with a higher rate for women. In factor analysis, the 25 items of traumatic events experienced in North Korea were divided into three factors: Physical Trauma, Political-Ideological Trauma, and Family-Related Trauma. In addition, the 19 items of traumatic events during defection were grouped into four factors: Physical Trauma, Detection and Capture-Related Trauma, Family-Related Trauma, and Betrayal-Related Trauma. In multifactorial logistic regression analysis, Family-Related Trauma in North Korea had a significant odds ratio.