A 7‐Year Follow‐Up Study on the Mental Health of North Korean Defectors in South Korea

Jeon, Woo Taek; Eom, Jin-Sup; Min, Sung Kil

doi:10.1002/jts.21783

Cited by 33 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…However, in a few studies (Cho et al, 2009; Jeon et al, 2013; Kim, 2016), traumatic experiences were not related to conditions other than PTSD, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. A path analysis further noted the mediating role of PTSD symptoms in the link between traumatic experience and co-morbid psychiatric symptoms (Kim, 2016), suggesting a relatively indirect effect of traumatic events on co-morbid conditions other than PTSD.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Jeon et al (2009)Adult NKRs36740.4Depression (CES-D)NoW. Jeon et al (2013)*Adult NKRs10635.3PTSD (SCID), Depression (BDI), Anxiety/Depression (HSCL-25)NoW. Jeon et al (2008)Adult NKRs6234.3 (19–55)Personality and Psychopathology (K-PAI)NoJun et al (2015)Adult NKRs20138.8Depression (CES-D), Anxiety (STAI), Somatization (SCL-90-R), PTSD (IES-R).NoJ.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consistent with a meta-analysis of refugee populations that identified traumatic events as the strongest mental health risk factor (Steel et al, 2009), the number and severity of these traumatic experiences were all predictive of a wide range psychiatric disorders among NKRs in most studies (Baek, Kil, Yoon, & Lee, 2007; Cho & Kim, 2010; Cho et al, 2011; Choi et al, 2017; Emery, Lee, & Kang, 2015; Jeon, Eom, & Min, 2013; Kim, 2012b, Y. Kim 2013; Kim, Cho, & Kim, 2015; Lee et al, 2016; Lim & Han, 2016; Park et al, 2015). However, in a few studies (Cho et al, 2009; Jeon et al, 2013; Kim, 2016), traumatic experiences were not related to conditions other than PTSD, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The adverse psychological impact of acculturative stress was consistently noted in prior findings, including decreasing NKRs’ self-efficacy and resiliency and increasing passive coping strategies for stressors (Kim et al, 2015; M. Lee et al, 2016; Lim & Han, 2016). Consequently, a high level of acculturative stress was found to predict adverse psychiatric outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD (Cho et al, 2011, 2009; Y. Kim, 2013; Kim et al, 2015; Lee, 2011; M. Lee et al, 2016; Lim & Han, 2016; Um et al, 2015), even after controlling for traumatic experience or daily life stress (Jeon et al, 2013). Furthermore, acculturative stress was suggested to mediate the adverse effects of risk factors, such as traumatic experience or perceived discrimination, on psychiatric outcomes (Lee, 2011; M. Lee et al, 2016).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…of subjectsTraumatic experiencePre-settlement factorsRisk11 (Baek et al, 2007; Cho & Kim, 2010; Cho et al, 2011; Y. Choi et al, 2017; Emery et al, 2015; W. Jeon et al, 2013; H. Kim, 2012b; Y. Kim, 2013, 2016; Y. Kim et al, 2015; Y. Lee et al, 2016; S. Lim & Han, 2016; J. Park et al, 2015)2747Longer stay periods in third countryPre-settlement factorsRisk7 (Baek et al, 2007; Cho et al, 2011; Y. Jung & Choi, 2017; H. Kim, 2010, 2013; H. Kim et al, 2011; H. Shin et al, 2016)2131Educational level in North KoreaPre-settlement factorsProtective5 (Cho et al, 2011; Y. Choi et al, 2009; H. Kim, 2010; Y. Kim et al, 2010; D. Song et al, 2016)1405Forced repatriationPre-settlement factorsRisk3 (B. Choi & Kim, 2011; Y. Jung & Choi, 2017; S. Kim et al, 2013; H. Shin & Kim, 2015)2959Acculturative stressPost-settlement factorsRisk7 (Cho et al, 2011; Cho et al, 2009; W. Jeon et al, 2013; Y. Kim, 2013; Y. Kim et al, 2015; K. Lee, 2011; M. Lee et al, 2016; S. Lim & Han, 2016; Um et al, 2015)1421Low income*Post-settlement factorsRisk6 (Ahn et al, 2012; B. Jeon et al, 2009; H. Kim et al, 2011; Nam et al, 2016; G. Shin & Lee, …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Mental health status of North Korean refugees in South Korea and risk and protective factors: a 10-year review of the literature

Lee¹,

Lee²,

Park³

2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background: North Korean refugees (NKRs) are often exposed to traumatic events in North Korea and during their defection. Furthermore, they face sociocultural barriers in adapting to the new society to which they have defected. Objective: To integrate previous findings on this mentally vulnerable population, we systematically reviewed articles on the mental health of NKRs in South Korea. Method: We searched for empirical studies conducted in the last 10 years in six online databases (international journals: Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science; Korean journals: DBPIA, KMbase) through June 2017. Only quantitative studies using new empirical data on the mental health of NKRs were included. We summarized the 56 studies ultimately selected in terms of NKRs’ mental health status and three domains of associated factors: pre- and post-settlement factors and personal factors. Results: NKRs had a high prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. We identified nine risk factors consistently found in previous studies, including traumatic experience, longer stay periods in third country, forced repatriation, acculturative stress, low income, older age, poor physical health, and female and male sex, as well as four protective factors, including educational level in North Korea, social support, family relationship quality, and resilience. Conclusions: We suggest that future studies focus on the causal interactions between different risk and protective factors and mental health outcomes among NKRs from a longitudinal perspective. Furthermore, comprehensive policies for NKRs’ psychological adaptation are needed, particularly the development of evidence-based mental health interventions.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Mental health status of North Korean refugees in South Korea and risk and protective factors: a 10-year review of the literature

Lee¹,

Lee²,

Park³

2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Twenty Years' Evolution of North Korean Migration, 1994–2014: A Human Security Perspective

Song

2015

Asia & Pacific Policy Stud

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Over the past two decades, there have been notable changes in North Korean migration: from forced migration to trafficking in women, from heroic underground railways to people smuggling by Christian missionaries. The migration has taken mixed forms of asylum seeking, human trafficking, undocumented labour migration and people smuggling. The paper follows the footsteps of North Korean migrants from China through Southeast Asia to South Korea, and from there to the United Kingdom, to see the dynamic correlation between human (in)security and irregular migration. It analyses how individual migrant's agency interacts with other key actors in the migration system and eventually brings about emerging patterns of four distinctive forms of irregular migration in a macro level. It uses human security as its conceptual framework that is a people‐centred, rather than state‐ or national security‐centric approach to irregular migration.

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The Influence of Premigration Trauma Exposure and Early Postmigration Stressors on Changes in Mental Health Over Time Among Refugees in Australia

Stuart

Nowosad

2020

Journal of Traumatic Stress

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As a result of the precarious conditions in which they migrate, refugees are likely to have experiences that increase their risk of mental health problems. Refugees tend to be predisposed to relatively high levels of distress upon resettlement, and a key predictor of these issues is traumatic experiences that occur before their arrival. Despite high initial levels of ill-health, on average, refugees tend to experience mental health recovery over time. However, both levels of mental health upon settlement and recovery over time may be negatively influenced by stressors in the postsettlement period. The present study examined changes in psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms over 5 years among 2,169 refugees from various backgrounds, predominately from Iraq and Afghanistan, who participated in the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) study. A multivariate latent growth curve model found mental ill-health decreased on average, β = −.21 for distress and β = −.31 for PTSD, ps < .001, and premigration trauma exposure predicted more initial PTSD symptoms and reduced recovery over time, β Intercept = .21, β Slope = −.54, p < .001. Postmigration stressors, such as loneliness, financial concerns, and cultural integration, predicted higher levels of mental health problems as well as reduced recovery over time. These findings suggest that beyond trauma exposure, the mental health of refugees upon resettlement and their recovery over time is impacted by stressors in the early resettlement period, which has important implications for interventions and services to support and encourage well-being in refugee populations.

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A 7‐Year Follow‐Up Study on the Mental Health of North Korean Defectors in South Korea

Cited by 33 publications

References 12 publications

Mental health status of North Korean refugees in South Korea and risk and protective factors: a 10-year review of the literature

Mental health status of North Korean refugees in South Korea and risk and protective factors: a 10-year review of the literature

Twenty Years' Evolution of North Korean Migration, 1994–2014: A Human Security Perspective

The Influence of Premigration Trauma Exposure and Early Postmigration Stressors on Changes in Mental Health Over Time Among Refugees in Australia

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