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KMID : 0897520190240020037
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Journal of Korean Association of Social Psychiatry
2019 Volume.24 No. 2 p.37 ~ p.47
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Mental Health Problems of North Korean Refugee Youths in South Korea : Literature Review of Empirical Studies
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Lee Eun-Sun
Lee Ye-Eun
Park Su-Bin
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Abstract
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North Korean refugee youths (NKRY) in South Korea have been rapidly increasing and are at greater risk of mental health problems due to multiple adversities during and after the flight and their unique social status in South Korea. This review study addressed a range of psychological and social risks for mental health of NKRY. The objectives of this study were 1) to investigate the severity of internalizing problems and externalizing problems as well as other health risk behaviors in NKRY compared with native-born youths, and 2) to identify relevant risk and protective factors, from internal (i.e., personal) to external (i.e., environmental). To this end, a total of 28 empirical studies (Korean 15, International 13) on NKRY's mental health, which were searched via online databases, were reviewed. As a result, internalizing problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality) and risk behaviors (e.g., alcohol use, smoking, and drug use) were significantly prevalent in NKRY than in native-born youths. Multiple common risk/protective factors, including family composition and relationship quality, peer relations, and acculturation stress, were noted. A few mechanisms by which these factors would exacerbate or mitigate the psychological/behavioral problems were also presented. The empirical evidence supports the heightened risk of internalizing problems and health risk behaviors in NKRY. Implications for prevention, intervention strategies for NKRY and suggestions for future studies are proposed.
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KEYWORD
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North Korean Refugee Youths (NKRY), Mental health, Internalizing/externalizing problems, Risk/protective factors
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