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Trauma and Depression among North Korean Refugees: The Mediating Effect of Negative Cognition

Author

Listed:
  • Subin Park

    (Department of Research Planning, Mental Health Research Institute, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul 04933, Korea)

  • Yeeun Lee

    (Department of Research Planning, Mental Health Research Institute, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul 04933, Korea)

  • Jin Yong Jun

    (Department of Social Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul 04933, Korea)

Abstract

North Korean refugees experience adaptation difficulties, along with a wide range of psychological problems. Accordingly, this study examined the associations between early traumatic experiences, negative automatic thoughts, and depression among young North Korean refugees living in South Korea. Specifically, we examined how different factors of negative automatic thoughts would mediate the relationship between early trauma and depressive symptoms. A total of 109 North Korean refugees aged 13–29 years were recruited from two alternative schools. Our path analysis indicated that early trauma was positively linked with thoughts of personal failure, physical threat, and hostility, but not with thoughts of social threat. The link with depressive symptoms was only significant for thoughts of personal failure. After removing all non-significant pathways, the model revealed that early traumatic experiences were positively associated with depressive symptoms (ß = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.48–0.73) via thoughts of personal failure (ß = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.08–0.28), as well as directly (ß = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.27–0.59). Interventions that target negative cognitions of personal failure may be helpful for North Korean refugees at risk of depression.

Suggested Citation

  • Subin Park & Yeeun Lee & Jin Yong Jun, 2018. "Trauma and Depression among North Korean Refugees: The Mediating Effect of Negative Cognition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:4:p:591-:d:138008
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    Cited by:

    1. Yoanna Seong & Subin Park, 2021. "Factors Affecting Changes in the Mental Health of North Korean Refugee Youths: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-10, February.
    2. Osnat Keidar & David S. Srivastava & Emmanouil Pikoulis & Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos, 2019. "Health of Refugees and Migrants—Where Do We Stand and What Directions Should We Take?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-8, April.

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