Children and adolescents who defected from North Korea were found to be at higher risk of developing mental disorders. This is an unexpected result given that medical care in Korea is better than in North Korea. Experts say the markedly different social and political environment and the likelihood of experiencing negative events during early migration are risk factors for mental health.
The research team led by Hong Min-ha, professor of psychiatry at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, said on the 19th that "there is a possibility their mental health could become vulnerable due to social and political factors." The study was published May 29 in the international journal JAMA Network.
The researchers analyzed health insurance claims data from the National Health Insurance Service for 1,618 North Korean defector children and adolescents aged 1 to 18 and 308,927 domestic children and adolescents aged 1 to 18 from 2005 to 2021. As a result, North Korean defector children and adolescents had a 1.3 times higher risk of developing mental disorders than domestic children and adolescents.
North Korean defector children and adolescents mainly experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depressive disorders and anxiety disorders. Severe PTSD can cause recurrent unexplained physical pain and loss of memory for some experiences. ADHD causes distractibility and lack of attention, leading to impulsive behavior.
The researchers expected the mental health of North Korean defector children and adolescents to improve after settling in Korea because medical care in Korea is better than in North Korea. However, North Korean defector children and adolescents remained at higher risk of developing mental disorders over time than domestic children and adolescents. The researchers said, "It appears that negative experiences during the initial migration process had an effect."
There were 34,000 North Korean defectors as of 2003. Professor Hong Min-ha said, "Even though their language is the same, North Korean defector children and adolescents grew up in a completely different social and political environment, so they inevitably have accumulated vulnerabilities in terms of mental health," and added, "The data from this study can be used as a basis for policy development for North Korean defector children and adolescents."
References
JAMA Network(2025) : https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2834552?resultClick=3