ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated changes in medical students' defenses during clerkship and examined the effects of these changes on students' resilience. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2014, all year-2 preclinical students (N = 249) at Gyeongsang National University Medical School were asked to participate. Those who agreed to participate (N = 237) completed the Korean version of the Defense Style Questionnaire (K-DSQ) and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale-10 (CD-RISC-10). After clerkship, students who proceeded to year 4 in 2 years (n = 187 (93 females), aged 24-38 years (mean, 28.9 ± 2.8 years)) completed the K-DSQ, CD-RISC-10, and the Korean version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (K-HADS) in September 2014, 2015, and 2016. RESULTS: The use of adaptive (W = 11,603.5, p < 0.001, r = 0.39) and self-inhibiting (W = 10,901.5, p < 0.001, r = 0.32) styles increased significantly after clerkship. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that changes in adaptive defense styles (B = 1.336, SE = 0.386, ß = 0.218, p = 0.001) during clerkship were significantly related to resilience after adjusting for age, sex, depression, and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Both positive personality development and maladaptive changes in defenses were evident. An increase in the adaptive defense style score was related to resilience.
Subject(s)
Clinical Clerkship , Resilience, Psychological , Students, Medical/psychology , Adult , Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Emotions , Female , Humans , Male , Republic of KoreaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the mediating effect of somatic symptoms between perceived social support and health-related quality of life among North Korean defectors living in South Korea. METHODS: A total of 200 North Korean defectors were assessed using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Short-Form 8-Item Health Survey, the Patient Health Questionnaire 15, the PTSD Checklist Civilian Version and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9. RESULTS: Somatic symptoms accounted for physical health-related quality of life after controlling for PTSD and depressive symptoms, but did not for mental health-related quality of life. Moreover, somatic symptoms mediated the relationship between perceived social support and physical and mental health-related quality of life, indicating that perceived social support indirectly affects physical and mental health-related quality of life through somatic symptoms in North Korean defectors. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that not only intervention for PTSD or depressive symptoms but also for somatic symptoms might be effective to improve physical and mental health-related quality of life for North Korean defectors, especially those who have a lack of perceived social support.
