Quality of Life for North Korean Female Refugees: The Influence of Physical Health, PTSD, and Social Support

Abstract

Background of the Study.The purpose of this study was to test a mediation model that describes the pathwaysthrough which female North Korean defectors’ perceived physical health and Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) symptoms may be associated with their quality of life. Specifically, we aimed to investigate whether socialsupport would mediate the association between North Korean defectors’ perceived physical health and PTSDsymptoms and their quality of life. Methods. The study sample included 172 female North Korean defectorsliving in South Korea. Participants completed a health condition checklist, the Posttraumatic Stress DisorderChecklist-Civilian Version (PLC-C), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), andthe Korean version of the Short-Form 8-Item Health Survey (SF-8). Results. The structural equation modelconfirmed the hypothesized mediation model, with the following indices: χ2 (38) = 86.184, CFI = 0.97, NFI =0.95, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.08 (90% CI: 0.06 - 0.10). Discussion. Our findings could help counselors understandunique issues that women refugees may experience as well as protective factors in their life (i.e., social support).