• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find stress mediation strategies for pandemic task forces in the future by identifying role stress experienced by local officials in public health centers working as COVID-19 response task force. Whether they suffered from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to COVID-19 was also determined. Methods: Subjects for this research were 185 public health center workers in 7 northern Gyeonggi cities with at least three months of COVID-19 response task force experience. The investigation lasted for two months, from February to March of 2021. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The average role stress of research subjects was 2.79±0.60. There were 64 subjects (34.6%) who answered 'yes' for trauma experience due to COVID-19. Subjects' role stress by sociodemographic and role characteristics displayed statistically significant differences in gender (t = -2.74, p= .007), age (F = 6.41, p= .002), profession (F = 0.01, p= .014), and COVID-19 response task (F= 3.01, p= .019). Specifically, role stress was higher for females than for males, those who were in their 20's (than 40's), a nursing profession (rather than others). Role stress was also higher in COVID-19 confirmed response work or in a self-quarantine work. There was a significant difference in trauma according to COVID-19 response roles (χ² = 26.59, p= < .001) and other tasks given or not (χ²= 9.48, p= .002). Conclusion: It is necessary to take measures to reduce COVID-19 response task force's role stress and trauma.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2022

Objectives : This study intends to assess the associations among perceived stigma at the time of infection, coping strategies adopted 12 months later and depressive and posttraumatic symptoms 24 months later in Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) survivors. Methods : A nationwide cohort study was conducted on 63 survivors of 2015 MERS outbreak. Demographic data, illness severity of MERS, depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms, coping strategies and MERS-related stigma were collected 12 and 24 months after the MERS outbreak, respectively. Results : Higher levels of perceived stigma at the time of outbreak were associated with higher levels of dysfunctional coping strategies after 12 months (p=0.003) and more severe depressive (p=0.058) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p=0.011) after 24 months. Moreover, higher levels of dysfunctional coping strategies after 12 months were significantly associated with more severe depressive (p=0.002) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p<0.001) after 24 months. Conclusions : Social stigma against people who have contracted an emerging infectious disease can leave a negative impact on the mental health of the survivors in the long term. In case of novel pandemics in the future, prompt rectification of stigma and promotion of adaptive coping strategies in survivors are needed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.539-547
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• 2017

This study examined the perception of disasters and post-traumatic stress disorder in occupational therapy majors to provide the basic data necessary for future occupational therapy. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 545 students in occupational therapy departments of three year and four year universities. The frequency of the questionnaire was calculated by frequency analysis using the SPSS 19.0 win program. A chi-squared test was conducted to verify the analyzed questionnaire data. The reliability of the questionnaire in this study showed a Cronbach' alpha value of 0.891. According to the survey results, approximately 20% of learners who majored in occupational therapy were unaware of the symptoms, developmental mechanism, and diagnostic criteria of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). Knowledge of the underlying causes of psychological symptoms, such as post-traumatic stress disorder as well as physical damage through industrial accidents, was found to be 2.92 on the Likert 5-point scale. To be effective in rehabilitation treatment, the degree of the approach to education from the viewpoint of occupational therapy is important enough to be recognized as 3.90 on the Likert 5-point scale. The Pearson correlation coefficient for the need for education on disasters was higher than the correlation with the awareness of disasters.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate clinical meaning of hallucination among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods : PTSD patients with hallucination (n=50) were selected and matched with the PTSD patients without hallucination (n=50) by age and sex. The patients were evaluated in two different aspects, pathologic aspects which can develop after traumatic event, and positive/adaptive aspects which are concerned in positive psychology. In addition to these, temperament and character features between two groups were also evaluated using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Results : Except for the total score of DES (Dissociative Experience Scale) and the score of re-experience subscale of CAPS (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale), clinical characteristics did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Among the comparison of seven higher dimensions in TCI profiles, only Self-transcendence showed significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion : The two groups did not show significant differences in pathologic aspects except for factors that may contribute to development of hallucination. Furthermore, authors could not find any differences in positive/adaptive aspects.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.46-59
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• 2019

Purpose: To determine associations of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with sexual autonomy and identify factors influencing sexual autonomy among female university students of North Korean defectors. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed with a total of 103 female students who completed a structured online self-report survey from January 7 to March 31, 2018. This study was conducted using questionnaires on interpersonal trauma scale, the Traumatic Scale for North Korean Refugees (TSNKR), and sexual autonomy measurement for college students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression with SPSS WIN 23.0 program. Results: Traumatic events, PTSD, and sexual autonomy scores were $3.96{\pm}3.07$, $31.47{\pm}10.75$, and $52.66{\pm}6.89$, respectively. PTSD was positively correlated with traumatic events (r=.22, p=.030). Sexual autonomy was inversely correlated with PTSD (r=-.25, p=.010). Contraceptive use, PTSD, and voluntary sexual debut explained 26% of sexual autonomy of participants. Conclusion: To improve sexual autonomy of young women from North Korea, reproductive intervention programs including contraception, sexual assertiveness training, and psychoeducation to reduce PTSD need to be developed and implemented.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the post-traumatic stress experiences of firefighters and paramedics. Methods: The participants were 20 fire fighters and paramedics who belong to the Busan Fire Department. Data were collected through in-depth, unstructured audio-taped interviews by the investigator over a six-month period. The participants were asked to describe their post-traumatic stress. The data were analyzed according to Giorgi's method for phenomenological analysis. Results: The interview data were organized by theme into 7 categories that emerged from the analysis. Participants faced various post-traumatic stresses working as fire fighters or paramedics. The categories were suffering from disastrous situations, feeling of fear and helplessness in the face of death, re-experiencing vividly the past traumatic situation, avoiding painful reminders of the trauma, emotional numbing as time passes, suffering from emotional arousal and increased anxiety, and struggling to cope with the post-traumatic stress. Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of post-traumatic stress experiences from fire fighters and paramedics and the knowledge gained from this study will help in developing appropriate post-traumatic stress management programs.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.303-312
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to describe the semantic system and process of posttraumatic growth experience of firefighters after colleague's suicide. Grounded theory methodology based on symbolic interactionism was utilized. The subjects of this study were 7 firefighters who experienced the colleague's suicide. Data were collected by using in-depth interviews from October 1 to November 30, 2015. The results showed that "Gradually becoming more resilient" was analyzed to be the core category of firefighters' posttraumatic growth. We derived four categories and nine subcategories. Based on the results, it is necessary to develop a convergence intervention program to promote posttraumatic growth of firefighters exposed to various traumatic events.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.22-35
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• 2019

Purpose : This study was to determine the levels of environmental stressor, posttraumatic stress disorder, and quality of life in intensive care units (ICU) survivors after intensive care, and to explore the factors affecting posttraumatic stress disorder and quality of life. Methods: With a longitudinal survey design, data were collected from 116 patients who were discharged from the ICU of a university hospital. The environmental stressor, posttraumatic stress disorder, and quality of life were measured immediately following and 1 month after the ICU discharge. Results: Of all the subjects, 16.4% experienced posttraumatic stress disorder after discharge. Multiple regression analysis revealed that ICU environmental stressors, experience of ICU readmission, using psychotropic drugs and narcotic analgesics, and ICU admission after surgery or cardiac intervention accounted for 22.2% of posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder and sedation status when entering ICU accounted for 28.3% of the quality of life 1 month after ICU discharge. Conclusion: Nursing interventions focused on ICU environmental stressors would not only reduce environmental stress but also contribute to the reduction of posttraumatic stress disorder and later improvement of quality of life.

• Stress
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2018

Background: This study investigated whether pre- and peri-disaster experiences influence on PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and whether post-disaster stress by life changes have impact on PTSD after controlling pre- and peri-disaster factors. Methods: Data came from a sample of 1,182 respondents who experienced natural disasters (flood and typhoon) in South Korea from 2012 to 2015. The SPSS Win 22.0 program was used for descriptive analysis, t-test, Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation and logistic regression analysis. Results: The results indicated that 24.3% of the disaster victims were in PTSD risk group. Compared with non-PTSD, PTSD risk group showed lower interpersonal trust and satisfaction, higher depression and anxiety, and lower subjective well-being. The results of hierarchical logistc regression revealed that all pre-, peri-, and post-disaster factors increased the probability of developing PTSD, except for relocation of residence. Moreover, a primary post-disaster predictor of PTSD was economic distress after controlling for pre- and peri-disaster. Conclusions: This study tested relative contributions of post-disaster factors on PTSD.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.673-683
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• 2018

The accident of Sewol Ferry is a disaster that provoked serious mental shock to the Korean people way beyond the level of generally-perceived catastrophic aftermaths. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between vicarious disaster experiences through media and post-traumatic stress(PTSD) symptoms of media users related to the accident. The responses of 417 people consisted of college, middle and high school students, and adults in a metropolitan area were collected for 12 days from the April 28, 2014 right after the accident. The results showed that the level of PTSD of social media users were higher than that of traditional media (newspapers or TV news) users on the accident. Also, the amount of use of disaster news information and social media revealed positive correlations with PTSD. Implications of this study are to demonstrate possible mechanisms of psychological trauma mediated by media on a disaster and its empirical data and to facilitate further research.