Relationship between Perceived Stigma for Psychological Helps and Depression in North Korean Defectors

Objectives This study was implemented for North Korean defectors to understand the relationship between perceived stigma for psychological helps and depression. Methods Two hundred defectors from North Korea were subjects in this study, including 28 males and 172 females. Both self-questionnaires and interviews were conducted. Patient Health Questionnaires-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depression scores. Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH) for stigma and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used to determine social supportive levels that they recognize. Results In the initial analysis, SSRPH was associated with PHQ-9. Multiple regression analysis to identify the relationship of stigma for subjects psychological helps on depression showed that staying longer than five years in the third country, working, high MSPSS score, and low SSRPH were negatively associated with the PHQ-9. Conclusion The stigma among North Korean defectors for psychological help is positively associated with depression. Perceived stigma may act as a barrier to the initiation and maintenance of psychiatric treatment who subjects in need of psychological help. Understanding the relationship between perceived stigma for psychological help and depression is important.