A Comparative Study of the Psychological Traits between Ordinary Korean Adolescents and Ethnic Korean “Goryeoin” Adolescents from Ukraine who came to South Korea after Experiencing the Ukrainian War:
A Comparative Study of the Psychological Traits between Ordinary Korean Adolescents and Ethnic Korean “Goryeoin” Adolescents from Ukraine who came to South Korea after Experiencing the Ukrainian War

Author(s): Brian Euijin Lee
Subject(s): Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Migration Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Scientia Moralitas Research Institute
Keywords: Ukrainian Goryeoin; mental health; adolescents; psychological factors;
Summary/Abstract: Goryeoins are ethnic Koreans who settled across Eurasia to move away from persecution and oppression in the Korean peninsula. Approximately 1,200 Goryeoins entered Korea to escape the Ukrainian War. This study aimed to analyze the metrics of psychological health (i.e., depression, anxiety, quality of life, and ethnic identity) of Goryeoin adolescents and to identify factors affecting their mental health. We compiled 120 questions based on six clinically used assessment tools (i.e., KIDSCREEN-52-HRQOL, RSES, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PC-PTSD-5, and MEIM). A total of 150 Korean adolescents and 130 Ukrainian Korean adolescents were included. The score of each subject was calculated in terms of family, friends, school life satisfaction, psychological health, ethnic identity, bullying, and trauma factors between the two groups, Goryeoin and Korean adolescents. Statistical analysis was performed using students’ t-tests for continuous variables that satisfied the normality assumption. For variables that did not satisfy the normality assumption, Mann-Whitney U test was performed. A p-value <0.05 was taken to indicate statistical significance. Goryeoin adolescents demonstrated significantly higher overall mental health than Korean adolescents. In metrics related to friendship, Korean adolescents showed significantly higher satisfaction than Goryeoin adolescents. Goryeoin adolescents identified with their country significantly more than Korean adolescents. Finally, Korean adolescents experienced bullying and trauma in significantly higher frequency than Goryeoin adolescents. This research was a first attempt to compare and identify factors for mental health between Korean and Goyeoin adolescents. We expect the results of this study to be used as a guide for policy decision making.

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