Psychiatry Investig.  2017 Nov;14(6):727-733. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.727.

Association of Anxiety, Depression, and Somatization with Menstrual Problems among North Korean Women Defectors in South Korea

• Kim HK
• Kim HS
• Kim SJ

• KMID: 2402398
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.727

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
North Korean women defectors have suffered from anxiety, depression, and somatization after defection. Also they have had many menstrual problems like amenorrhea. This study was done to identify the correlations of anxiety, depression, and somatization to menstrual problems among North Korean woman defectors in South Korea.
METHODS
The participants in this study were 126 women from 5 government resettlement centers throughout South Korea. Questionnaires which included State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Center for Epidemiological studies-Depression Scale (CED-S), and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to identify anxiety and somatization. Data were collected between June and September, 2012.
RESULTS
The women reported the following problems; amenorrhea (9.5%), hypomenorrhea (13.6%), menorrhagia (19.8%), polymenorrhea (13.5%), oligomenorrhea (4.8%), changes in amount of menstrual discharge (4.0%), and changes in amount of blood clot (9.5%). Anxiety (r=0.20, p=0.002), depression (r=0.25, p=0.005), and Somatization (r=0.35, p<0.001) were correlated with number of menstrual problems.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study indicate that mental health services need to be taken into account in interventions for North Korean woman defectors to improve their reproductive health including addressing menstrual problems.

Keyword

Anxiety; Depression; Menstruation; North Korean defector; Somatization

MeSH Terms

Amenorrhea
Anxiety*
Depression*
Female
Humans
Korea*
Menorrhagia
Menstruation
Menstruation Disturbances
Mental Health Services
Oligomenorrhea
Reproductive Health