Details:

Alternative Title:
Am J Prev Med
Publisher's site:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.04.006
Personal Author:
Cha, Jiho ; Surkan, Pamela J. ; Kim, Jaeshin ; Yoon, Isabel A. ; Robinson, Courtland ; ... More +
Cha, Jiho ; Surkan, Pamela J. ; Kim, Jaeshin ; Yoon, Isabel A. ; Robinson, Courtland ; Lopes Cardozo, Barbara ; Lee, Hayoung Less -
Description:
Introduction:

The gravity, scale, and nature of human rights violations are severe in North Korea. Little is known about the mental health consequences of the lifelong exposures to these violations.

Methods:

In 2014–2015, a retrospective study was conducted among 383 North Korean refugees in South Korea using respondent-driven sampling to access this hidden population. This study collected information on the full range of political and economic rights violations and measured post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression symptoms, and social functioning by standard instruments. Multivariate regression analysis was performed with the adjustment of political, economic, and demographic variables in 2016–2017.

Results:

The results indicate elevated symptoms of anxiety (60.1%, 95% CI=54.3%, 65.7%), depression (56.3%, 95% CI=50.8%, 61.9%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (22.8%, 95% CI=18.6%, 27.4%), which are significantly associated with exposures to political rights violations (ten to 19 items versus non-exposure: anxiety AOR=16.78, p<0.001, depression AOR=12.52, p< 0.001, post-traumatic stress disorder AOR= 16.71, p<0.05), and economic rights violations (seven to 13 items versus non-exposure: anxiety AOR=5.68, p<0.001, depression AOR=4.23, p<0.01, post-traumatic stress disorder AOR=5.85, p<0.05). The mean score of social functioning was also lower in those who were exposed to political (adjusted difference= −13.29, p <0.001) and economic rights violations (adjusted difference= −11.20, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

This study highlights mental health consequences of lifelong human rights violations in North Korea. Beyond the conventional approach, it suggests the need for a collaborative preventive response from global health and human rights activists to address human rights in regard to mental health determinants of the 20 million people in North Korea.


Subject:
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Article

Source:
Am J Prev Med. 55(2):271-279.
Pubmed ID:
29934018
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC6257994
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
Place as Subject:
Republic of Korea
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:171dbe74ae6b7b1c874e32c71116c5fb35128b87c7195b86d469f0d4e7d303b0
File Type:

Supporting Files

• nihms-994031.nxml

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