J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2007 May;28(5):352-358.

The Symptom Expression and the Illness Behavior of North Korean Defectors: Toward an Effective Therapeutic Relationships

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 2Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Health, Korea.
  • 3University of North Korean Studies, Korea.
  • 4Department of Family Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. karmaboy@hallym.or.kr

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The North Korean defectors are suffering from multiple psychologic and physical health problems. However, because of their emotional maladaptation, noncooperation and suspiciousness and distrust toward others, it is difficult for South Korean doctors to build effective therapeutic relationships with them. Therefore, we made efforts to clarify the characteristics of North Korean defectors in symptom expressions and illness behaviors which would help South Korean doctors to gain rapport.
METHODS
We performed qualitative study with focus group interview. Three focus groups were composed of 14 North Korean defectors and group interviews were performed twice for each group. The contents of each interview were analyzed and conclusions were drawn by extracting and arranging significant findings.
RESULTS
The North Korean defectors showed psychologic symptoms such as anxiety, depression and various somatic symptoms. Among them, 'Laeng-Dol ('cold mass) and 'Jeog' mean subjective mass-feeling, such as globus sensation. And 'Tag-Gi-Byeong ('chicken heart disease')' means recurrent chest pain. These expressions reflect their anxious, depressive, and somatizing tendency. Among illness concept, 'Laeng-Byeong' ('cold related disease') means that they consider the cold weather to be the cause of various somatic symptoms. Characteristic illness behaviors include continuous complaining of recurrent symptoms, distrusting medical staffs and institutions, self-diagnosis, self- prescription, and reliance upon folk remedies. These illness behaviors were precipitated by the current breakdown of health-care system and economic crisis of the North Korea.
CONCLUSION
South Korean doctors should be able to understand these characteristics of the North Korean defectors in order to build effective therapeutic relationship with them.

Keyword

North Korean defectors (Sae-Teo-Min); symptom expression; illness behavior; therapeutic relationship; qualitative study

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Chest Pain
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Depression
Focus Groups
Heart
Humans
Illness Behavior*
Interviews as Topic
Medical Staff
Medicine, Traditional
Prescriptions
Sensation
Weather
Full Text Links
  • KJFM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr