The Mediating Effect of Internal Locus of Control in the Relationship between Family and Friend Support and Acculturative Stress of North Korean Adolescent Refugees

Abstract

This study examined the mediating effect of internal locus of control in the relationship between family and friend support and acculturative stress of North Korean adolescent refugees. Participants consisted of 101 North Korean adolescent refugees (40 males and 61 females) aged 13 to 24, who live in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Busan. SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 5.12 were used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated and structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the mediating effect. The results of this study are as follows. First, a higher level of family support and friend support were associated with a higher level of internal locus of control. A higher level of internal locus of control was associated with a lower level of acculturative stress among North Korean adolescent refugees. Second, the level of internal locus of control mediated the relationship between friend support and acculturative stress. This study is meaningful in that it examines the specific paths affecting acculturative stress of North Korean adolescent by examining family and friend support, which are environmental factors, and internal locus of control, which is internal factor of individuals. The study results suggest that improving friend support as well as increasing the level of internal locus of control for North Korean adolescent refugees can be an effective way to prevent or intervene acculturative stress.

Factors Affecting Changes in the Mental Health of North Korean Refugee Youths: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study

“…This is contrary to previous studies, which showed that the perception that support can be gained from relatively close family or peer relationships plays a positive psychological role in the cultural adaptation process [ 23 , 45 , 57 ]. However, according to a study by Jeong and Kang [ 8 ] on environmental protection factors, peer support alone does not have a significant impact on cultural adaptation stress, but can be indirectly influenced by personal internal protection factors such as internal locus of control, suggesting the indirect influence of external factors. Regarding family function, no statistically significant association with changes in depression over time was reported in this study.…”

“…The cultural adaptation stress experienced by NKRYs in the process of settling is a significant factor that makes adapting to South Korean society difficult [ 7 ]. In particular, it is highly likely that they will experience additional stress due to the developmental transition from childhood to adulthood [ 8 , 9 ]. NKRYs are known to experience many psychological symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, delinquency, aggression, and hostile behavior [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

“…In terms of external factors, low levels of emotional or practical social support contribute to depression in NKRYs [ 11 , 19 ]. On the other hand, several studies have found that an internal locus of control or family support protect against depression in NKRYs and have been reported to be able to help them adapt to living in a new society [ 8 , 9 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. In addition, participation in social groups (e.g., religious and social organizations) was also found to reduce depression [ 25 ].…”