Psychiatry Investigation
Volume 13, Issue 5, 2016, Pages 480-487

Effects of psychiatric symptoms on attention in North Korean refugees (Article) (Open Access)

Lee Y.J. , Jun J.Y. , Park J. , Kim S.* , Gwak A.R. , Lee S.H. , Yoo S.Y. , Kim S.J.
  • a Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
  • b Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
  • c Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
  • d Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; J., Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea, Department of Psychiatry, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
  • e Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
  • f Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
  • g Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
  • h [Affiliation not available]

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. © 2016 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association.

Author Keywords

Attention Depression Dissociation Anxiety North Korean refugees

Index Keywords

refugee North Korean demography human amnesia middle aged Beck Anxiety Inventory controlled study depersonalization mental disease male Beck Depression Inventory performance female clinical article scoring system Article adult attention test Event Scale Revised and the Dissociative Experiences Scale II absorption
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84991463561&doi=10.4306%2fpi.2016.13.5.480&partnerID=40&md5=81ff3ef0ca953e3f8369278e67174204
DOI: 10.4306/pi.2016.13.5.480
ISSN: 17383684
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English