• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.20-25
• /
• 2015

Objective:To review the patterns of the dermatologic consultations of psychiatric adolescent inpatient and to explore the relationship between the dermatologic disorders and psychiatric disorders. Methods:We retrospectively studied the data from 22 cases referred by psychiatric adolescent for a dermatologic consultation over 10 years in Daegu Catholic University Medical Center and compared with the data from 108 cases referred by the other department adolescent patients. Results:The mean age of patients was 15.9. The male to female ratio was 1:1.44. The most common psychiatric and dermatologic disorder was major depressive disorder and acne, respectively. The most frequent reason for consultation was to ask for dermatologic disease or condition(54.5%) followed by to perform cosmetic procedure of patients need(40.9%) and to perform dermatologic test(4.6%). Conclusions:More than just a cosmetic disfigurement, dermatologic disorders are associated with a variety of psychopathologic problems that can affect the patient. Increased understanding of biopsychosocial approaches and liaison among psychiatrists and dermatologists could be beneficial.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.100-106
• /
• 1995

Antibodies to hepatitis C drew attention because of high morbidity to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV was known to be transmitted by transfusion, sexual behavior and parenteral drug use. However, some kind of autoimmune mechanism was suggested to be involved in the genesis of HCV-induced liver diseases. We hypothesized the prevalence of having anti-HCV might be higher in psychiatric patients rather than general population because of the characteristic route of transmission. Using Abbott HCV BA kit, anti-HCV was detected in the sera of 113 psychiatric inpatients from early December in 1992 to late May in 1994. The Positivity of anti-HCY was significantly(P<0.05) higher among psychiatric inpatients(10.6%) than in healthy controls(3.0%). There were no disease specificity among psychiatric inpatients who had anti-HCV, though alcoholics tended to have more anti-HCV. We couldn't find any significant correlation of anti-HCV with age, seasons of birth, lymphocytes (%) and liver function.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.77-85
• /
• 2021

Breast cancer is the most prevalent oncological disease among women. Various psychosocial distress is common at the diagnosis, treatment, and posttreatment phase of breast cancer. For the treatment of breast cancer, not only medical treatment but also psychosomatic integrative care will be needed. Patients with breast cancer may lead to increased vulnerability to stress, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, and these psychiatric diseases and conditions are associated with recurrence or exacerbation of breast cancer. Psychosocial treatment of anxiety and depression could increase the quality of life of patients and decrease the recurrence and progression of breast cancer. In this article, we reviewed 5 clinical breast cancer survivorship guidelines focused on psychosomatic integrative care including psychosocial treatment and alternative treatment for psychosocial distress. Because 5 treatment guidelines were using various definitions of evidence, we confirmed evidence of various psychosocial treatments for patients with breast cancer based on the definition of evidence by the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) guideline. We also reviewed the effect size of psychosocial treatment for anxiety, depression, mood, and quality of life in patients with breast cancer. This article discusses the barrier to the delivery of psychosomatic integrative care and suggests integrative care planning for breast cancer. Multi-disciplinary teams, patient's needs assessment, information technology support, patient and caregiver engagement, planned periodic monitoring of psychosocial distress by a psychosomatic specialist or consultation-liaison psychiatrist are recommended as key features of a psychosomatic integrated care plan.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
• /
• 1999.11a
• /
• pp.356-361
• /
• 1999

본 연구에서는 정신분열증 환자들이 인식하는 타인의 얼굴표정에 관한 정보를 정상집단과 비교해보았다. 정신분열증환자 30명과 정상인 31명을 대상으로 얼굴 계인 검사와 28개의 얼굴표정에 대한 명명과제를 실시하였다. 연구 결과, 얼굴표정에 대한 명명에서 정신분열증 환자집단은 정상집단에 비해 얼굴표정을 명명하는 일치율이 낮았고 흐뭇함과 두려움을 표현하는 표정을 인식하는데 어려움을 나타냈다. 또한, 28개의 얼굴표정들 중, 정신분열증 환자들은 7개의 표정(흐뭇함 3, 두려움 2, 경멸 1, 나른한 1)을 정상집단과 다른 정서로 명명하였다. 연구 결과를 통해, 정신분열증 환자들은 타인의 얼굴정서를 인식하는데 정상인들과 차이를 나타낸다는 것을 알 수 있었으며 이러한 결과를 토대로 정신분열증 환자들의 타인의 정서인식능력의 결핍에 대해서 논의하였다.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.3-7
• /
• 2009

Psychiatric disorders are quite common in surgical patients. However, surgeons are less likely to refer patients to psychiatrists than other physicians, who also have a tendency to under-recognize psychiatric disorders among their patients. Therefore, a large proportion of psychopathology in surgical patients is either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and not optimally treated, if treated at all. This column focuses on common psychiatric issues that generally arise in surgical patients and reviews psychiatric issues specific to specialized surgical settings and patients (eg, burn units, obesity surgery).

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.149-164
• /
• 2000

Somatization is regarded as a process rather than a diagnostic entity. It should be emphasized to identify psychopathology rather than to make a choice regarding diagnosis in assessing somatizing patients. Psychiatrists should be aware of the psychosocial cues underlying the patients' physical symptoms. Special skills and strategies are required by nonpsychiatric physicians to facilitate the patients' acceptance of psychiatric treatment. The goal of treatment for somatization is management but not cure. The approach should be flexible, depending on the patients' responses and need. The difficulty in diagnosing and treating somatization is likely to be related to abnormal illness behavior such as the patients' denial of their psychosocial problems and resistance to psychiatric approach. In conclusion, biopsychosocial approach is needed to treat these patients effectively. Psychiatrists should also teach other physicians the interview skill that they could identify these patients as early as possible and facilitate their acceptance of psychiatric treatment.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.134-141
• /
• 1999

Objects : Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy have many psychological problems. Those problems depend on clinical factors of cancer and the characteristics of patients. This study was designed to estimate the morbidity of psychiatric disorder and to investigate the relationship between psychiatric disorders and clinical variables. Methods : The subjects were 47 patients who had been treated by radiotherapy. Psychiatric disorder was diagnosed according to DSM-IV. The authors assessed the relation between psychiatric disorder and demographic features, clinical features of cancer such as site, duration, frequency of recurrence of cancer, and patients' awareness of disease and expectation of outcome of radiotherapy. Results : 21 patients(44.7%) had a psychiatric disorder. The most common psychiatric disorder were adjustment disorder(66.7%), and the next major depressive disorder(23.8%). There was a significant positive relationship between psychiatric disorder and recurrence of cancer, patients' expectation of poor outcome after radiotherapy. Psychiatric morbidity was significantly low in those who had no evidence of recurrence and who considered radiation treatment as curative. However, site and duration of cancer, patients' awareness about serious illness were not related with psychiatric disorder. Conclusion : Psychiatric disorders are common among cancer patients on radiotherapy. Further clinical attention and effective treatment of psychiatric complication in cancer patients are needed not only for reducing symptoms but for better adjustment.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.3-9
• /
• 1994

The psychobiological model of cancer has a long history, with Galen's view on melancholic woman being often quoted. From a historical perspective, the 1950s witnessed a surge of interest in psychosomatic medicine and in researches linking psychological, social, and environmental factors to disease onset and progression. The 1960s witnessed the growth of animal experiements, in the hope of better understanding the effects of psychological and behavioral factors on carcinogenesis while controlling confounding variables. The 1970s saw rapid advances in immunology and neurochemistry. Further researches in the 1980s in psychoneuroimmunology explored relationships between immunological responses and psychosocial variables, and their implications for cancer vulnerability and progression. In this review, the interacting aspects of oncology and psychiatry are presented with selected major findings in the fold of psychooncology researches.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.59-68
• /
• 1994

A comparison was made regarding the degree of alexithymia among patients with psychosomatic disorders, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. The author examined the degree of alexithymia in three groups : 100 psychosomatic patients(including 47 patients with tension headache), 52 outpatients with anxiety disorden, and 50 outpatients with depressive disorders. Alexithymia was assessed by Alexithymia provoked Response Questionnaires(APRQ) developed as a semi-structured interview form. No significant difference was found in the degree of alexithymia among Patients with Psychosomatic disorders, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders. On the other hand, patients with tension headache were significantly more alexithymic than patients with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in degree of alexithymia between patients with anxiety disorders and those with depressive disorders. Multiple regression analysis revealed that demographic variables such as set age, education level, and marital status did not make a significant influence on alexithymia scores. These results suggest a greater degree of alexithymia in patients with a specific group of psychosomiatic disorders such as tension headache than in patients with emotional disorders, unlike the previous report that in general, psychosomatic patients are alexithymic. Thus, it is necessary to develop special forms of interview which can induce and encourage expression of emotion as a therapeutic strategy for patients with tension headache.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.338-351
• /
• 1994

This study was to find out whether there were differences in the levels of depressions between positive and negative schizophrenics. This research was derived from the fact that negative schizophrenics show higher levels of depression than positive schizophrenics. This study also examined the levels of psychomotor dysfunction in positive and negative schizophrenics. For this study, there were 453 subjects. They consisted of 119 positive schizophrenics, 122 negative schizophrenics and 212 normal people. They were asked to complete Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS) and to perform one subtest, Digit Symbol of KWIS(Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale). Subjects' levels of depression were measured by the SDS. the level of psychomotor dysfunction was measured by Digit Symbol subtest of Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale. ANOV A and Duncan's multiple comparison analysis were used to examine whether there were differences of depression and psychomotor dysfunction among the normal people, positive and negative schizophrenics. The results were as follows: It was found that the depression level was higher in the negative schizophrenic patients than positive schizophrenic patients. Levels of depression were significantly higher in negative schizophrenics than positive schizophrenics. Psychomotor retardation symptom was the most effective variable that discriminates between the normals and the schizophrenics. And it would be concluded that the psychomotor dysfunction was more severe in negative schizophrenics than positive schizophrenics.