Predictors of PTSD among North Korean Defectors Visited Psychiatric Department of North Korean Defectors Treatment Center / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the quality of life and social adjustment of North Korean refugees who consulted psychiatric clinics. METHODS: A total of 66 North Korean refugees who consulted a psychiatric clinic were included in the analysis. A psychiatrist conducted interviews with the subjects, and PTSD was diagnosed using the clinician-administered PTSD Scale. The quality of life of the subjects was evaluated using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale. RESULTS: Thirty five (53%) were diagnosed with PTSD. Quality of life was found to show association with understanding the language in South Korea, difficulty interacting with South Koreans, and experience or feeling of neglect. Quality of life of the PTSD group was lower than in the Non-PTSD group. Difficulty adapting to South Korean society was also higher in the PTSD group. Experience or feeling of neglect was negatively correlated with the quality of life in the PTSD group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study may be helpful in providing a specific direction for psychiatric intervention strategies to improve overall quality of life and adaptation to life in South Korea.

A Study on Reliability and Validity of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised-North Korea (IES-R-NK) / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to translate the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) into North Korean language and confirm its reliability and validity. METHODS: A total of 207 North Korean defectors recruited from the Call Center for North Korean Defectors participated in this study. Psychiatrists and psychiatric residents interviewed the participants individually and made psychiatric diagnosis. Subsequently, they completed the Brief Psychological State Inventory for North Korean Refugees (BPSI-NKR), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-North Korea (CES-D-NK), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-North Korea (AUDIT-NK) as well as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised-North Korea (IES-R-NK). Of the original participants, 143 subjects participated in test-retest reliability study after one week. RESULTS: The internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha was superior in both male and female from North Korea. In addition, the temporal stability was also satisfactory. A good convergent validity was clearly shown by significant correlations with BPSI-PTSD and CES-D-NK, respectively. On the other hand, IES-R-NK had no or weak correlations with AUDIT-NK and BPSI-NKR-alcohol, demonstrating its satisfactory discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: IES-R-NK might be considered as a short and valid screening tool for identification of PTSD symptoms in North Korean defectors.