Anxiety Mood.  2021 Oct;17(2):49-58. 10.24986/anxmod.2021.17.2.001.

Longitudinal Trajectories of Mental Health Among North Korean Defectors: A Four-Year Follow-Up Study of Loneliness, Depression, and Life Satisfaction

• Park SH
• Hong JP
• An JH
• Lee HR
• Kim MH
• Chang H

• KMID: 2522100
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24986/anxmod.2021.17.2.001

Abstract

Objective
: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal trajectories of life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression and to identify the factors that influence these trajectories in North Korean Defec-tors (NKD).
Methods
: NKD (n=300) who registered in the multi-regional adaptation center (Hana Center), within three years of settling in South Korea, were recruited into this study. Life satisfaction, loneliness, and depres-sion were assessed with self-report questionnaires over a period of 4 years (7 waves of data). Latent growth modeling was conducted to assess the changes in life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression.
Results
: Findings from both unconditional and conditional models (with gender, South Korea settlement age, household income, marital status, and PTSD at wave 1) indicated a linear increase in loneliness and depression, and a linear decrease in life satisfaction over the 4-year period. In the conditional model, gender predicted the intercept of life satisfaction and depression. In addition, PTSD predicted the intercept of life satis-faction, loneliness, and depression and slope of depression.
Conclusion
: Our finding suggests that the mental health of NKD tends to deteriorate over time after set-tling in South Korea. Therefore, continuous support is necessary for their successful adaptation to the South Korean Society.

Keyword

North Korean Defectors; Depression; Loneliness; Life satisfaction; Latent growth modeling.