• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze research trends and find whether Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of refugees could affect structural or functional changes of brains of those under MRI, focusing on volumes, functional connectivities, and metabolites. Methods: A literature search was done using PubMed, Embase, RISS, and KMBase to identify studies that matched our research purpose. A total of eight studies were identified using Prisma flow diagram by two reviewers independently. Results: Eight studies were identified. Three studies were on North Korean defectors as subjects. The number of studies that observed structural changes, functional changes, and metabolite changes in brains was 2, 5, and 2, respectively. Although each study observed various parts of the brain, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was observed commonly in three studies. The PTSD group showed reduction of ACC volume and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) metabolite in ACC compared to the non- PTSD group. When exposed to negative stimuli, the PTSD group showed higher neural activity than the non-PTSD group, but not vice versa. Conclusion: ACC showed significant difference in volume, neural activity, and NAA metabolite between the PTSD and the non-PTSD group, resulting in significant differences in structural changes, functional changes, metabolite changes, respectively. This study showed the need for conducting more research using various biomarkers to clarify the relationship between PTSD of refugees and their brain changes.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.142-146
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• 2006

People who were exposed to chronic interpersonal traumas in their early life consistently demonstrate complex psychological disturbances and many of them meet the criteria for proposed diagnosis of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (complx PTSD). The author reports a case of the successful sequential integrative treatment mainly composed of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in a complex PTSD patient. The patient did not respond to the previous treatment with psychotropic medications and supportive psychotherapy. Twelve sessions of EMDR and three sessions of supportive psychotherapy were done for the patient. Psychological assessments were performed before starting the treatment and a week after completing the treatment. After the treatment, the patient improved on all the psychological scales and behavioral measures. This case suggests that the sequential integrative treatment mainly composed of EMDR may be effective for complex PTSD patients.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.147-157
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• 2014

Firefighters receive extreme stress and suffer from PTSD in disaster. But we have not been paid attention to them. The purpose of this study is to analyze the problems of previous PTSD education programs in fire academy and to present the practical educational programs for firefighters to use in the disaster field. In the empirical analysis of this practical educational programs(EFT program), this program is more effective than existing theory-focused education training program.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.306.1-306.6
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• 2018

This study examined the add-on efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy among adult civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who continued to be symptomatic after more than 12 weeks of initial antidepressant treatment. Scores for the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) were rated pre- and post-EMDR and at a 6-month follow-up. After an average of six sessions of EMDR treatment, seven of 14 patients (50%) showed more than a 30% decrease in CAPS score and eight (57%) no longer met the criteria for PTSD. Our results indicate that EMDR could be successfully added after failure of initial pharmacotherapy for PTSD.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.191-200
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• 2011

Objectives: The goal of this paper is to examine the social network effects on post-traumatic sdress disorder (PTSD) in female North Korean immigrants who entered South Korea in 2007. Specifically, it attempts to verify if the density and composition of networks make a difference after controlling for the network size. Methods: A multivariate logistic regression is used to probe the effects of social networks using the North Korean Immigrant Panel data set. Because the data set had only completed its initial survey when this paper was written, the analysis was cross-sectional. Results: The size of the support networks was systematically related to PTSD. Female North Korean immigrants with more supporting ties were less likely to develop PTSD, even after controlling for other risk factors (odds-ratio for one more tie was 0.8). However, once we control for the size of the network, neither the density nor the composition of the networks remains statistically significant. Conclusions: The prevalence of the PTSD among female North Korean immigrants is alarmingly high, and regardless of the characteristics of supporting network members, the size of the supporting networks provides substantial protection. This implies that a simple strategy that focuses on increasing the number of supporting ties will be effective among North Korean immigrants who entered South Korea in recent years.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate clinical meaning of hallucination among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods : PTSD patients with hallucination (n=50) were selected and matched with the PTSD patients without hallucination (n=50) by age and sex. The patients were evaluated in two different aspects, pathologic aspects which can develop after traumatic event, and positive/adaptive aspects which are concerned in positive psychology. In addition to these, temperament and character features between two groups were also evaluated using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Results : Except for the total score of DES (Dissociative Experience Scale) and the score of re-experience subscale of CAPS (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale), clinical characteristics did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Among the comparison of seven higher dimensions in TCI profiles, only Self-transcendence showed significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion : The two groups did not show significant differences in pathologic aspects except for factors that may contribute to development of hallucination. Furthermore, authors could not find any differences in positive/adaptive aspects.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.177-193
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• 2010

Significant advances have been made in understanding the biological underpinnings of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), particularly in the field of genetics and neuroimaging. Association studies in candidate genes related with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, monoamines including serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, and proteins including FK506-binding protein 5 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor have provided important insights with regard to the vulnerability factors in PTSD. Genome-wide association studies and epigenetic studies may provide further information for the role of genes in the pathophysiology of PTSD. Hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulated cortex and amygdala have been considered as key structures that underlie PTSD pathophysiology. Future research that combines genetic and neuroimaging information may provide an opportunity for a more comprehensive understanding of PTSD.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2017

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the mental health improvement program in Korean firefighters. Methods : A total of 502 firefighters working at Daegu, Ulsan and Gumi participated in the mental health improvement program for an 8-week period. The program included evaluation and counseling as well as psychoeducation for mental health awareness. Subjects were divided to two groups including the PTSD high risk group and PTSD non-high risk group. Results : The program resulted in a significant decrease in mean scores of depression and insomnia for all firefighters. PTSD high risk group showed a significantly higher level of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Multiple logistic regression analysis with PTSD high risk group as a dependent variable indicated that moderate depression was a high-risk factor for PTSD in firefighters, as compared to no depression ; in addition, subthreshold and moderate insomnia was another risk factor. Conclusion : The evaluation and management of psychopathologies including depression and insomnia associated with traumatic events can be helpful to improve the mental health of firefighters.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.285-312
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• 2016

The study examines how stressful life experiences and negative affective conditions influence refugees' information seeking and uses. Fifty-five North Korean refugees living in South Korea were invited to participate in a survey to determine their level of PTSD and to investigate the relationship between activeness in information-seeking and their negative affect. Seven subjects with severe PTSD symptoms participated in an in-depth interview to describe their information practices in daily life contexts. The study found that participants with higher levels of PTSD tended to seek information more passively than those with lower levels of PTSD. Almost all refugees were unable to recognize their information needs clearly but some subjects stated latent socio-affective needs and financial needs. Most refugees avoided seeking information and learned information through interpersonal sources-staffs in the Hana Refugee Center and volunteers in local community churches-and mass media. Some unique social phenomena were discovered in North Korean refugees' information world and the emergent features were discussed. On the basis of the findings, some practical approaches for improving refugees' information world were also suggested.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.46-59
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• 2019

Purpose: To determine associations of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with sexual autonomy and identify factors influencing sexual autonomy among female university students of North Korean defectors. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed with a total of 103 female students who completed a structured online self-report survey from January 7 to March 31, 2018. This study was conducted using questionnaires on interpersonal trauma scale, the Traumatic Scale for North Korean Refugees (TSNKR), and sexual autonomy measurement for college students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression with SPSS WIN 23.0 program. Results: Traumatic events, PTSD, and sexual autonomy scores were $3.96{\pm}3.07$, $31.47{\pm}10.75$, and $52.66{\pm}6.89$, respectively. PTSD was positively correlated with traumatic events (r=.22, p=.030). Sexual autonomy was inversely correlated with PTSD (r=-.25, p=.010). Contraceptive use, PTSD, and voluntary sexual debut explained 26% of sexual autonomy of participants. Conclusion: To improve sexual autonomy of young women from North Korea, reproductive intervention programs including contraception, sexual assertiveness training, and psychoeducation to reduce PTSD need to be developed and implemented.