No abstract available.
Ethics*

No abstract available.

Objectives: Psychiatry in North Korea is still poorly understood. Therefore, it is necessary to study the psychopathology and diagnostic classification of North Korean psychiatry. This study examined North Korea’s psychopathology and diagnostic classification system and how it differs from international standards. Methods: This study reviewed North Korean medical books and medical journals available at the Information Center on North Korea. This literature review and qualitative content analysis examined 15 medical books and 227 medical articles. Results: North Korea’s psychiatric diagnostic classification is based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10), but with some modifications to reflect the circumstances of North Korea. While the research journals mainly used the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria, North Korea has its own diagnostic criteria, which it refers to as the “existing diagnostic criteria.” ‘Neurotic disorders’ were the most common, both in the classification in the medical books and the list of disorders covered in the medical journals. There was an interest in ‘organic mental disorders,’ such as postconccusional syndrome and ‘mental disorders due to encephalic parasitism,’ but relatively little research on mood disorders. There were no studies on suicide and a view that alcohol is abused in capitalist countries. Conclusion This study examined the diagnostic classification system of North Korean psychiatry.Further analyses of the characteristics of the psychopathology used in North Korea can be used to understand North Korean society.

It is anticipated that mass refugees from North Korea can happen in the process of Korean reunification. In this paper, the author reviewed the adaptational and mental health problems of refugees, especially Indochinese refugees, and discussed several topics which could be problems of Korea. Great adaptational differences between social classes in Vietnamese refugees were noted, therefore it is suggested that different resocialization program should be prepared for each social class of North Korea. General problems of refugees are found to be broken family problems, conflict in family due to role conversion, attitude of mass media in dealing with refugees, problems of education for living and difficulties with establishing the effective helping system. Therefore, in the resocialization program, the above problems besides economic support should be considered in Korea. Also, refugees were reported to have severe mental problems especially depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociation, etc. And refugees usually are afraid of expressing their psychiatric problems and meeting with psychiatrists. South Korean psychiatrists should know about the characteristic of North Korean people and develop adequate approaching and interviewing techniques and treatment plan. As the South and North Korea have had very different systems for 50 years, it should be very difficult and important to make the two people adapt and harmonize in new unified society.
Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Media ; Mental Health* ; Psychiatry ; Refugees* ; Social Class ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Koreans have repeatedly experienced societal traumas, of which Korean Peninsula division and 6.25 are the greatest sources of trauma. Such division and the Korean War have destroyed the concept of "nation community," "town community," and "rational community" in the Korean people. Thus, Korean people have come to 1) live in a society with no recognition of community, 2) obsession with extreme ideologism, 3) lower ability to resolve conflict making societal dissension more serious. For the healing of this trauma, the following projects are needed : 1) foreign case analysis of societal trauma healing, 2) analysis of each subject and healing, 3) rebuilding of nation, town, and ration community in Korean society, 4) creation of artwork that gives introspection to division and its sublimation, 5) take the challenge to sublimate suffering in order to create a higher mental state of individual and society. Thus, the professional role of a psychiatrist is important. First, administer professional treatment to those in need of medical psychiatric help who are suffering from societal trauma resulting from division. Second, grasp the mental and societal difficulties and special help needed for the various traumas. Third, help in creation of artwork dealing with the pain of division. Fourth, create a more culturally sensitive and appropriate psychiatric support method for North Korean Refugees in South Korea. Fifth, help in sublimating pain and finding meaning and maturation through it. It is important to acknowledge that "Unification is Healing."
Hand Strength ; Humans ; Korea ; Korean War ; Mercuric Chloride ; Obsessive Behavior ; Professional Role ; Psychiatry ; Refugees ; Sublimation

PURPOSE: Medical education is perceived as being very stressful, which leads to declines in subjective well-being in medical students. Therefore, student counseling is becoming an exigent issue. The goal of this study was to investigate the academic difficulties and subjective well-being of medical students to identify their needs with regard to counseling. In addition, we analyzed help-seeking behaviors of students to develop an effective counseling program. METHODS: We performed a survey (n=205) to determine the extent to which medical students encounter academic difficulties in their lives in medical school and how they attempt to resolve their problems. In addition, we used the Oxford Happiness Scale to examine the relationships between academic performance, previous help-seeking behavior, and happiness in medical students. RESULTS: Of various types of problems, 62% of medical students perceived learning difficulties to be the most serious issue in medical school. Despite encountering difficulties, more than 67% of students failed to seek help from faculty or their fellow students. There was a significant relationship between happiness score and previous help-seeking behavior. A lack of perceived seriousness was identified as the most significant barrier to seeking help. CONCLUSION: Access to counseling programs must be improved for students with apparent academic difficulties who do not seek counseling. Through such programs, students can learn and practice methods of coping with their difficulties and develop medical and professional competence.
Counseling ; Education, Medical ; Happiness ; Humans ; Learning ; Learning Disorders ; Professional Competence ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyze the experience of South Korean policemen who are in charge of supporting the North Korean defectors' adaption to South Korean society for 2 years. METHODS: Written-form survey questionnaire were sent to all policemen who were in charge of defectors with the help of the National police bureau. RESULTS: 172 policemen answered to survey questionnaire. There was no difference of human relationship score according to the defectors' sex, age, academic career. But defectors with low academic career showed bad human relationship as time went by. The type of human relationship change were different according to the defectors' age. Defectors who entered to South Korea directly from North Korea in short period had a better relationship in comparison with those who escaped to China or other third countries and stayed there for a long time to get a chance to enter to South Korea. As the policemen are younger, the relationship scores were better. But when some problem occurred in their relationship, younger policemen were less successful in solving the problem. There were many kind of efforts of policemen to improve the human relationship and it showed that the education-oriented effort is more effective and successful than direct problem-solving effort. CONCLULSION: This study showed that the human relationship of defectors and policemen in charge are affected by some demographic factors and defection routes and the types of efforts of policemen to improve the human relationship. It was suggested that the role of policemen in charge of defectors should be more well-defined, and NGO(Non Government Organization) need to have more continuos and specified program to help defectors' adaptation. Finally, the importance of continuing scientific researches about defectors' adaptation was emphasized.
China ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Demography ; Humans ; Korea ; Police ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United Nations

The number of North Koreans defecting to South Korea is increasing rapidly. They are important people to South Korean society not only for humanitarian reasons, but also for their impact on the future Korean unification and the integration of the two different South and North Korean peoples. However, the defectors have experienced many difficulties in their adaptation to South Korean society due to their own characteristics and due to the misunderstandings of the South Korean people. To obtain comprehensive qualitative data about the characteristics and difficulties of North Korean defectors' adaptation to South Korean society, 58 semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with 32 defectors who had entered South Korea from 1990 to 1997. Four categories of adaptation difficulties were encountered, which are related with the defectors' suspiciousness, different ways of thinking, searching for new sets of values, and with the prejudice of the South Korean people. Finally, three areas of suggestions for the more successful adaptation of the defectors to South Korean society were made; a need for more comprehensive perspectives on the defectors' adaptation, suggestions regarding educational programs and suggestions for educating the South Korean people.
Adaptation, Psychological* ; Adolescence ; Adult ; Emigration and Immigration* ; Female ; Human ; Interview, Psychological ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Age ; Politics*

No abstract available.
Education, Medical*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of present study was to explore the differences of ego defense mechanisms between South Koreans, North Korean defectors in South Korea and Korean-Chinese in South Korea, and the correlations between ego defense mechanisms and perceptions of socio-cultural characteristics of these three groups. METHODS: The Defense Style Questionnaire and the Socio-Cultural Characteristic Questionnaire were administered to 100 South Koreans, 93 North Korean defectors and 86 Korean-Chinese. 21 North Korean defectors and 10 Korean-Chinese in South Korea were interviewed regarding the questionnaire results of the study. RESULTS: North Korean defectors used more active defense styles and emotion repressive defense styles than South Koreans. Korean-Chinese used more passive defense styles than North Korean defectors and South Koreans. North Korean defectors scored significantly higher than South Koreans on 'denial', 'splitting', 'withdrawal', 'suppression', 'altruism', 'task orientation' and 'anticipation' in the Defense Style Questionnaire. The defense styles were significantly related to the socio-cultural characteristics of the three countries. CONCLUSION: From our results it was inferred that there are differences in the defense styles among three groups, and the socio-cultural characteristics have effects on defense mechanisms. On the gasis of the results of this study, the direction of future study was discussed.
Defense Mechanisms ; Ego* ; Korea* ; Surveys and Questionnaires