Abstract
Although a variety of traumatic experiences can impact health over the lifetime, little is known about the prevalence of such experiences in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequencies of traumatic experiences and their differences by gender and age. South Korean adults (N = 3000) aged 19–65 years completed a self-report survey assessing childhood and adulthood trauma and sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, 79.5% of the participants reported at least one traumatic experience in adulthood. Unemployment or job loss and academic or work difficulties were commonly reported. The most distressing adulthood trauma was the unexpected death of a loved one, followed by diseases in loved ones. Childhood trauma was higher in males than in females. In males, childhood trauma was higher at a younger age, but in females, it was higher at an older age. Adulthood trauma was higher in females than in males and at older ages for both males and females. The current findings demonstrate the differences in traumatic experiences by gender and age in the South Korean general population. These results could help improve assessment of and targeted intervention for psychological trauma through trauma-informed strategies in public health practice.
Highlights
Traumatic experiences are a highly prevalent global phenomenon [1]
Childhood trauma scores were significantly higher in males than in females (U = 1,054,371.50, p = 0.003), while adulthood trauma distress scores were higher in females than in males (U = 993,636.00, p < 0.001)
Both childhood and adulthood trauma scores were significantly higher in participants who lived without a spouse than in those living with a spouse (U = 1,044,914.50, p = 0.001; U = 1,022,598.00, p < 0.001, respectively), and in those who graduated high school or below than college or above (U = 551,847.00, p < 0.001; U = 579,992.50, p = 0.001, respectively)
Summary
Health Survey, 70.4% of the participants reported experiencing at least one lifetime traumatic event, with exposure rates ranging from 28.6% in Bulgaria to 84.6% in Ukraine [1]. Traumatic events appear in a variety of forms, including witnessing death or serious injury, the unexpected death of a loved one, threatening situations associated with physical violence, sexual violence, verbal abuse, or bullying within the workplace [1,4,5]. Trauma-related distress substantially affects victims’ health, and delayed treatment and care can lead to chronic physical and mental health problems [6,7,8,9]. Childhood maltreatment has been reported to have a negative impact on mental health, including depression and anxiety [7,8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
