Ewha Medical Journal

"Post-traumatic stress disorders"

Original article

[English]

Status of human rights violations and trauma among North Korean defectors: a cross-sectional study: So Hee Lee, Won Woong Lee, Haewoo Lee, Jin Yong Jun, Jin-Won Noh; Ewha Med J 2025;48(2):e28. Published online April 10, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12771/emj.2025.00367

Purpose
This study aimed to identify the types of human rights violations and the associated psychological trauma experienced by North Korean defectors. It also examined the impact of trauma on the defectors’ interpersonal relationships, employment, and overall quality of life, while evaluating existing psychological support policies to suggest potential improvements.
Methods
A multidisciplinary research team conducted an observational survey and in-depth interviews with approximately 300 North Korean defectors residing in South Korea from June to September 2017. Standardized measurement tools, including the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and Short Form-8 Health Survey (SF-8), were employed. Statistical analyses consisted of frequency analysis, cross-tabulation, factor analysis, and logistic regression.
Results
The findings revealed a high prevalence of human rights violations, such as public executions (82%), forced self-criticism (82.3%), and severe starvation or illness (62.7%). Additionally, there were elevated rates of PTSD (56%), severe depression (28.3%), anxiety (25%), and insomnia (23.3%). Defectors who resided in China before entering South Korea reported significantly worse mental health outcomes and a lower quality of life. Moreover, trauma was strongly and negatively correlated with social adjustment, interpersonal relationships, employment stability, and overall well-being.
Conclusion
An urgent revision of existing policies is needed to incorporate specialized, trauma-informed care infrastructures within medical institutions. Furthermore, broad societal education to reduce stigma and enhance integration efforts is essential to effectively support the psychological well-being and social integration of North Korean defectors.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Recent advances in pulmonary tuberculosis, the application of deep learning to medical topics, and highlights from this issue of Ewha Medical Journal
Hae-Sun Chung
Ewha Medical Journal.2025; 48(2): e16. CrossRef

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Review

Special topic: role of institutes related to the occupational and environmental diseases in Korea

[English]

Trauma counseling centers for psychological support to manage trauma from workplace injuries in Korea: a narrative review: Chang Sook Kim, Jeong-Ok Kong, Jung-Wan Koo; Ewha Med J 2025;48(1):e12. Published online January 31, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12771/emj.2025.e12

Abstract
PDF

This review describes a psychological support service designed to address post-traumatic stress disorder in workers impacted by workplace injuries, assisting in their recovery and facilitating their return to work. It explores the rationale and context behind establishing trauma counseling centers for these individuals, along with the status, roles, future directions, and recommendations for these centers. The review details the operational framework and functions of the workplace injury trauma management program, the scope of the impacts of such injury, the groups targeted for crisis intervention, and the psychological interventions tailored to each stage of recovery. Initiated as a pilot project in 2018, trauma counseling centers for workers have gradually become more common, with 23 centers in operation across Korea as of 2024.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

The age of trauma: the prevalence and psychological impact of potentially traumatic exposures in South Korea
Gaeun Son, Jihee Jang, Euntaek Hong, Subin Park, Yun-Kyeung Choi, Kee-Hong Choi
Frontiers in Psychiatry.2025;[Epub] CrossRef