1
|
Cho CH, Jun JY, Lee HJ. Beyond misconceptions and prejudices - Understanding North Korean mental health from journals in North Korea. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 88:103738. [PMID: 37634338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chul-Hyun Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Yong Jun
- Department of Psychiatry, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Heon-Jeong Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Grzesiuk M, Pawelec A. Fluoxetine results in misleading conclusions on fish behavior. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9707-9714. [PMID: 34306656 PMCID: PMC8293709 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluoxetine is an antidepressant medicine causing relaxation and mood improvement in people, with silencing certain personality traits in some cases. The question arise if such phenomena can be observed in nontarget organisms such as fish. Fluoxetine affects fishes behavior; however, it is not known if the medicine affects its "personality." This study aimed to evaluate the reaction of the invasive Neogobius fluviatilis and native Gobio gobio individuals to fluoxetine at environmental concentration of 360 ng/L. We prepared three variants of the experiments: (a) behavioral trials with unexposed fishes, (b) behavioral trials with the same fishes after 21 days of fluoxetine exposure, and (c) behavioral trials with the same fishes after 21-day depuration period, that is, without fluoxetine. The fishes reaction time (RT), that is, difference in time spent on reaching food with and without the necessity of overcoming the obstacle, was analyzed. Additionally, the personality, bold or shy, traits of each fish individual, was assigned. The results indicated that environmental concentrations of the antidepressant influenced RT. The average RT of the fishes cultured with fluoxetine was by 7-min shorter in comparison with the nonexposed control. Share of individuals exposed to fluoxetine assigned as bold raised to 71.4% in comparison with 46.4% in nonexposed control. This sheds new light on wild fishes behavior caught from freshwater. Environmental concentrations of the antidepressant influenced the time of fishes reaction and share individuals assigned as bold. Moreover, 21-day recovery lasting might be not enough to get fluoxetine effect on fishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Grzesiuk
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyInstitute of BiologyWarsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)WarsawPoland
- Department of Hydrobiology at Biological and Chemical Research CentreFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Alicja Pawelec
- Department of Hydrobiology at Biological and Chemical Research CentreFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lee CW, Lee J, Jun JY, Lee SH, Yu SY, Park J, Kim SJ. Associations between defense mechanisms and life satisfaction among North Korean refugees. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2021; 20:18. [PMID: 33750410 PMCID: PMC7941897 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-021-00339-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study investigated associations between defense mechanisms and life satisfaction among North Korean refugees living in South Korea. METHODS A total of 178 North Korean refugees completed the Korean version of the Defense Style Questionnaire, a revised version of the Ways of Thinking of North Korean Defectors scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was performed to investigate the defense mechanisms associated with North Korean refugees' life satisfaction in South Korea. RESULTS Among defense mechanisms, denial most strongly predicted higher overall and economic satisfaction among North Korean refugees living in South Korea (β = 0.145, p < 0.01; β = 0.137, p = 0.03, respectively) after controlling for age, gender, anxiety, depression, and number of traumatic events experienced. Furthermore, resignation predicted lower overall (β = -0.206, p < 0.001) and economic satisfaction (β = -0.134, p = 0.02). However, the association between resignation and life satisfaction was not significant after controlling for depression, anxiety, and number of traumatic events experienced. CONCLUSIONS Specific defense mechanisms such as high denial and low resignation were associated with life satisfaction in South Korea among North Korean refugees. Our findings suggest that refugees' psychological defense mechanisms may affect their satisfactory resettlement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang Woo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, 81 Ilwon-ro, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, Korea
| | - Jooyoung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, 81 Ilwon-ro, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, Korea
| | - Jin Yong Jun
- Department of Research Planning, Mental Health Research Institute, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Hee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyun Park
- Department of Psychology, University At Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Seog Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, 81 Ilwon-ro, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kim HW, Jeon WT. Research output on mental health problems in North Korea between 2006 and 2017: A bibliographic analysis of North Korean medical journal articles. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 53:102228. [PMID: 32593086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite the continuing interests in political, economic, and public health issues of North Korea, little is known about mental health problems in North Korea. To gain a glimpse into this area of interest, we aimed to explore the characteristics of mental health research in North Korea and to identify the emphasis therein. In this context, four North Korean medical journals were selected from the Information Center on North Korea, with publication dates 2006-2017 (inclusive). For this bibliographic study's scope, we targeted studies on psychiatric problems in humans. We first selected articles based on their titles, and then finalized the study sample after reviewing the full text of primary sample articles. For main outcome measures, we used the absolute number and proportion of mental health research articles relative to total publications and the distribution of papers by research themes as defined by ICD-10 categories. Collectively, four journals published 162 mental health research articles from 2006 to 2017. The yearly volume and proportion varied between two and twenty-four and between 0.3 % and 2.7 %, respectively. The most frequently addressed ICD-10 category was F40-48, namely 'Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders,' and the most frequently investigated condition was somatoform disorders. In conclusion, there has been a slow but steady increase in the research volume of psychiatry and mental health problems since 2011. The finding that the highest amount of research was conducted on somatoform disorders may suggest that mental disorder symptoms may be represented differently under the influence of socialism in North Korea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hae Won Kim
- Department of Medical Education, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Woo Taek Jeon
- Department of Medical Education, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Shin JE, Choi CH, Lee JM, Kwon JS, Lee SH, Kim HC, Han NY, Choi SH, Yoo SY. Association between memory impairment and brain metabolite concentrations in North Korean refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188953. [PMID: 29216235 PMCID: PMC5720673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had experiences of enormous psychological stress that can result in neurocognitive and neurochemical changes. To date, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. The present study is to investigate the association between neurocognitive characteristics and neural metabolite concentrations in North Korean refugees with PTSD. A total of 53 North Korean refugees with or without PTSD underwent neurocognitive function tests. For neural metabolite scanning, magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been conducted. We assessed between-group differences in neurocognitive test scores and metabolite levels. Additionally, a multiple regression analysis was carried out to evaluate the association between neurocognitive function and metabolite levels in patients with PTSD. Memory function, but not other neurocognitive functions, was significantly lower in the PTSD group compared with the non-PTSD group. Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels were not different between groups; however, NAA levels were significantly lower in the ACC of the PTSD group than the non-PTSD group (t = 2.424, p = 0.019). The multiple regression analysis showed a negative association between hippocampal NAA levels and delayed recall score on the auditory verbal learning test (β = -1.744, p = 0.011) in the non-PTSD group, but not in the PTSD group. We identified specific memory impairment and the role of NAA levels in PTSD. Our findings suggest that hippocampal NAA has a protective role in memory impairment and development of PTSD after exposure to traumatic events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jung Eun Shin
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi-Hoon Choi
- Department of Radiology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Min Lee
- Computational NeuroImage Analysis Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine in SNU-MRC, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Hee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Chung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Na Young Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Hee Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine in SNU-MRC, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Yoo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND After the end of Second World War, the recent experience of the Nazi horrors stimulated a debate about the political use of psychiatry. Over the years, the focus shifted on major dictatorships of the time and especially on Soviet Union. AIMS This article aims to provide a critical review of the ways in which psychiatry was used by totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. METHODS We summarized relevant literature about political use of psychiatry in totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, with particular focus on Fascism, Nazism, Argentina dictatorship, Soviet Union and China. RESULTS One of the features that are common to most of the dictatorships is that the use of psychiatry has become more prominent when the regimes have had the need to make more acceptable the imprisonment of enemies in the eyes of the world. This for example happened in the Nazi regime when sterilization and killing of psychiatric patients was explained as a kind of euthanasia, or in the Soviet Union after the formal closure of the corrective labor camps and the slow resumption of relations with the capitalistic world, or in China to justify persecution of religious minorities and preserve economic relations with Western countries. CONCLUSION Psychiatry has been variously used by totalitarian regimes as a means of political persecution and especially when it was necessary to make acceptable to public opinion the imprisonment of political opponents.
Collapse
|
7
|
Lee YJ, Jun JY, Park J, Kim S, Gwak AR, Lee SH, Yoo SY, Kim SJ. Effects of Psychiatric Symptoms on Attention in North Korean Refugees. Psychiatry Investig 2016; 13:480-487. [PMID: 27757125 PMCID: PMC5067341 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2016.13.5.480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated the performance of North Korean refugees on attention tasks, and the relationship between that performance and psychiatric symptoms. METHODS Sustained and divided attention was assessed using the computerized Comprehensive Attention Test in North Korean refugees and in South Koreans. All participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II). RESULTS The North Korean refugees showed slower reaction times (RTs) on the visual sustained attention task compared to the South Koreans after controlling for age and sex. North Korean refugees had a greater number of omission errors (OEs) on the divided attention task and a higher standard deviation (SD) of RT. Total DES-II scores of the North Korean refugees were associated with the number of OEs and the SD of RT on the sustained attention task, and with the number of OEs on the divided attention task. CONCLUSION North Korean refugees showed poorer performance on computerized attention tasks. In addition, attention deficit among North Korean refugees was associated with their dissociative experiences. Our results suggest that refugees may have attention deficits, which may be related to their psychiatric symptoms, particularly dissociation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jin Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Yong Jun
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyun Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soohyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ah Reum Gwak
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Hee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Yoo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seog Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lee YJG, Jun JY, Lee YJ, Park J, Kim S, Lee SH, Yu SY, Kim SJ. Insomnia in North Korean Refugees: Association with Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms. Psychiatry Investig 2016; 13:67-73. [PMID: 26766948 PMCID: PMC4701687 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2016.13.1.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 02/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated the prevalence of insomnia and its clinical characteristics in North Korean refugees. METHODS North Korean refugees living in South Korea (48 males, 129 females; mean age 38.22±12.24 years) and South Koreans (112 males, 203 females; mean age 39.48±10.32 years) completed the following questionnaires: the Self-reported Questionnaire on Insomnia, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), Trauma Exposure Check List for North Korean Refugees, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). RESULTS North Korean refugees had insomnia more often than South Koreans did (38.42% vs. 8.89%). Depression combined with insomnia was also more prevalent in North Korean refugees (28.25% vs. 3.17%). Compared with South Koreans with insomnia, North Korean refugees with insomnia showed higher CES-D scores. The North Korean refugees with insomnia had experienced a larger number of traumatic events, and had higher CES-D and IES-R scores compared to North Korean refugees without insomnia. Insomnia in North Korean refugees was also associated with the presence of significant depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. CONCLUSION Insomnia was common in North Korean refugees and was closely associated with depressive and PTSD symptoms. Our study suggests that complaints of insomnia may indicate more severe psychopathology, especially in refugees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jin G. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Yong Jun
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Jin Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyun Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soohyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Hee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seog Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for Medicine and Korean Reunification, Seoul National University of College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Jun JY, Lee YJG, Lee SH, Yoo SY, Song J, Kim SJ. Association between defense mechanisms and psychiatric symptoms in North Korean Refugees. Compr Psychiatry 2015; 56:179-87. [PMID: 25459417 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Defense mechanism may contribute to psychiatric symptoms. Refugees are vulnerable to various psychiatric symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, somatization, and those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), due to their traumatic or stressful experiences. We aimed to investigate the mediating role of each defense mechanism in the occurrence of specific psychiatric symptoms in North Korean refugees. METHOD Among 213 North Korean refugees initially recruited, 201 completed the following questionnaires: the Defense Style Questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S), the somatization subscale of Symptom Check-List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine the defense mechanisms more predominantly associated with specific psychiatric symptoms after controlling for age, sex, number of traumatic experiences, and other psychiatric symptoms (depressive symptoms and/or anxiety). RESULTS Higher levels of depression were independently predicted by greater use of resignation. More use of acting out and less use of humor and sublimation independently predicted higher levels of anxiety. Somatization was independently predicted by more use of inhibition. PTSD symptoms were independently predicted by more use of undoing and isolation. CONCLUSIONS Specific psychiatric symptoms were associated with specific defense mechanisms in North Korean refugees. Our findings suggest that the manifest psychiatric symptoms of refugees may be mediated by their dominant defense mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yong Jun
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jin G Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Hee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Yoo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungeun Song
- Department of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Seog Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital and Center for Medicine and Korean Reunification, Seoul National University of College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|