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Factors associated with posttraumatic growth among North Korean defectors in South Korea

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Lee, Mi Kyung, Kim, Ocksim, Kim, Kyoung-A., Chu, Sang Hui·2022·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/s41598-022-07945-3PMC PMC8901760
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Abstract

Refugees experience various kinds of trauma during the migration process, which can cause psychiatric problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder. However, in the process of overcoming traumatic experiences, they may also experience posttraumatic growth (PTG). This study examined the level of PTG and its associated factors among North Korean defectors, including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In total, 212 North Korean defectors completed self-report questionnaires measuring PTG (PTG inventory), PTSS (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, PCL-5), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), and various sociodemographic variables. Participants completed the survey online, from July 27 to August 4, 2020. Participants reported a moderate level of PTG scores (51.7 ± 15.4, range 0–80). To determine the impact of PTSS on PTG among North Korean defectors, we conducted a hierarchical multiple regression analysis. In the final model, several sociodemographic factors (years in South Korea, education in North Korea, religion, and employment status), overall quality of life (β = 0.321,p < 0.001), and PTSS (β = 0.162,p = 0.035) were positively associated with PTG, whereas living with family (β = − 0.1261,p = 0.040) and loneliness (β = − 0.401,p < 0.001) were negatively associated with PTG, accounting for 36.6% of the variance in PTG scores (p < 0.001). This is the first large-scale study describing the level of PTG and its associated factors among North Korean defectors residing in South Korea. Further, our study provides suggestions for future research in this area, and interventions for improving PTG among this group.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Lee, M. K., Kim, O., Kim, K.-A., & Chu, S. H.
Affiliations
Yonsei University (KR)
Corresponding author
Chu, Sang Hui
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-03-07
Volume
12
Issue
1
Pages
3989-3989
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41598-022-07945-3
PMC
PMC8901760
OpenAlex
W4220732635
Cited by
17
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3
FWCI
2.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • YUHSpace (Yonsei University Medical Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
the National Research Foundation of Korea (Brain Korea 21 FOUR Project, 2019R1I1A2A01058746)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
Keywords
posttraumatic growth, North Korean defectors, refugees, posttraumatic stress symptoms, quality of life, loneliness, family life, sociodemographic factors, migration trauma, South Korea
MeSH terms
Posttraumatic Growth, Psychological, Humans, Quality of Life, Refugees, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

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