Abstract

This study examined the effect of social acknowledgement on the mental health of individuals who have experienced state violence in Korea based on the complete mental health model. A total of 138 state violence survivors completed surveys measuring perceived distress from state violence trauma and post-state violence social stressors, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, and mental well-being. Conducting a principal axis factoring (PAF) of the post-state violence social stressors, we identified seven factors including three factors related to the absence of social acknowledgment, namely, socio-institutional disapproval, disapproval from state, and relational disapproval. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that disapproval from state and relational disapproval were risk factors for the languishing and syndrome group, in reference to the complete to moderate mental health group. For recovery, mental well-being should be considered, in addition to symptoms. The government’s social acknowledgment, including seeking justice, apologizing, and making reparation, is a crucial factor related to CPTSD symptoms and mental well-being of survivors of state violence, and seeking recovery should be built upon this acknowledgment.