Stress, mental disorders, and its treatment approach for North Korean refugee youth : A special focus on treatment of PTSD, depression, and insomnia

In displaced populations who have fled their homeland because of persecution, violence, and political oppression, both children and adults have been affected by a variety of traumatic experiences. In addition, refugee children and adolescents are often exposed to violence in the home. The experiences of family violence may contribute to the psychopathology of refugee children, apart from traumatic experiences related to war or flight. However, little is known, so far, about the exposure to family violence and its relation to mental health in North Korean refugee youth affected by political violence. Experiencing the various forms and types of trauma increases the probability of developing mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugees. Further, PTSD often occurs with other mental health symptoms and also seems to have a relation to the comorbid symptoms in multiple trauma-affected populations. However, to our knowledge, the relation of PTSD to comorbid mental disorders among North Korean refugee youth has not been fully understood. The present thesis investigated family violence and its relation to mental health in North Korean refugee youth. Furthermore, the relationships between PTSD and comorbid mental health symptoms were examined in North Korean refugee youth who have experienced multiple trauma. Subsequently trauma-focused intervention – Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) – was tested in order to reduce trauma-related mental health problems in North Korean refugee youth. The first article investigated exposure to violence and trauma, and mental disorders of North Korean refugee youth compared to South Korean youth who share similar ethnicity, language, and cultural norms but differ in the political context. Results revealed that North Korean refugee youth reported higher rates of family violence as well as organized violence and general traumatic events, and higher levels of mental health symptoms than South Korean youth. Furthermore, experiencing family violence and the number of ...