• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.261-283
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• 2004

This study verified the effectiveness of brief family education programs for schizophrenic outpatients and their families in a community social welfare center, using a pre - post test control group design. The results of this study verified that the program was effective to improve knowledge about schizophrenia, reduce feelings of rejection and anxiety about patients, and help the patients to recognize their family emotional support. Therefore, it was found in this study that the brief family education program in the community social welfare center had a positive impact on schizophrenic outpatients and their families' treatment and rehabilitation. From the results of this study, it can be seen that this program positively effects the treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients and the stability of their families. The program can also be easily utilized as a community resource. Furthermore, the results of this study can be utilized as fundamental support to suggest the need for mental health programs in community social welfare centers. This study suggested the importance of increasing the number of mental health professionals working in this arena. There is also a need to create additional supportive programs for schizophrenic outpatients and their families. Follow up care also needs to be provided to families after completing family education programs. Continuous study is needed in these areas.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.173-182
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• 2005

This review is a clinical and research update of recent literature related to childhood onset schizophrenia (with an onset of psychosis by age 12). Childhood onset schizophrenia(COS) is a rare disorder, but that may represent a more homogeneous patient population in which to search for risk or etiologic factors of schizophrenia. These overview data show that COS shares the same clinical and neurobiological features as later onset forms of the disorder. Compared with later onset schizophrenia, however, this subgroup of patients appear to have more severe premorbid neurodevelopmental abnormalities, more cytogenic abnormalies, poor outcome, and potentially greater family histories of schizophrenia and associated spectrum disorders. Future studies of this subgroup may provide important clues as to the genetic basis for schizophrenia and how gene products influence certain feature of the disease, such as age of onset and mode of inheritance.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2008

Objectives : Neurological soft signs have been regarded as endophenotypes associated with the genetic basis of schizophrenia. This study was to investigate the intra-familial correlations of the neurological soft signs according to their genetic loading. Methods : Schizophrenic patients(N=14) were included, who had one parent with a family history of schizophrenia and the other without it. Genetic loading was determined by the patient's family history of schizophrenia using the Family Interview for Genetic Studies(FIGS). These parents were subdivided into two groups. The first group was designated as 'presumed carriers'(N=9) of genetic loading, who had one or more schizophreic firstor second-degree relatives. The second group was designated as 'presumed non-carriers'(N=11) of genetic loading, who had no schizophrenic first- or second-degree relatives. Normal controls(N=12) consisted of people without schizophrenic relatives. NSS were evaluated using the Neurological Evaluation Scale-Korean Version (NES-K), and the intra-familial correlations of NSS were tested using the Intra-Class Coefficients(ICC) method. Results : The scores of Motor Coordination subdimension of NES-K were significantly correlated between the patients and their presumed carriers(ICC=.804, p=.016), but not significantly correlated between the patients and their presumed noncarriers. In other subdimensions of NES-K, no significant correlation were found between the patients and their parents regardless of the genetic loading. But, there were no statistically significant differences in the scores of Motor Coordination subdimension of NES-K between the patients and controls. Conclusion : This study did not prove that the neurological soft signs might be an endophenotype of schizophrenia that cosegregate with the genetic loading. The future study using more subjects than this would be needed.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.351-368
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• 1999

The objective and subjective burden was evaluated toward 115 main caregivers in the family with schizophrenic patient by interview with structured questionnaire and self-report using Family Burden Scale (FBS) of family with schizophrenic patient in Korea. The results were as follows : 1) The mean age of onset by schizophrenic patient were 23 years old in male and 26 in female. 2) The mean scales of objective and subjective burden were 1.5 and 1.6. 3) By Logistic regression objective burden was significantly affected by family support (P<0.001), religion (P<0.05), occupation (P<0.05). 4) Subjective burden was significantly affected by family support (P<0.01) and family total income (P<0.05). 5) Total objective and subjective burden was significantly affected by family support (P<0.001), religion (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study suggests that main caregivers need family support from other family members. For them religion and social support are also helpful to cope with the burden to take care of the schizophrenic patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.16-27
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• 2001

Objectives : This study was aimed to investigate stress and coping strategy in the families of schizophrenic patient, and changes of knowledge, stress and coping strategy after brief program of family education compared with control group Methods : The education group consisted of twenty four people who were families with schizophrenic patients and attended the brief program of family education. The control group consisted of twenty two people with schizophrenic inpatients. Self-report questionnaires such as Family Coping Questionnaire(FCQ), Patient Rejection Scale(PRS), Worry Questionnaire, Knowledge Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) were administered to the education group and the control group, twice at the pre-test and post-test. Results : 1) In the education group, scores of worry questionnaire, BDI and STAI-S at the post-test were significantly lower than those at the pre-test. Social interests score of FCQ and knowledge questionnaire score at the post-test were significantly higher than those at the pre-test. In FCQ factors, social interests associated with avoidance strategy score at the post-test was significantly higher than that at the pre-test. However, in the control group, there was no significant difference in all questionnaires. 2) In the education group, significant positive correlation existed between calculated differences of worry questionnaire and STAI-S, and between worry questionnaire and STAI-T, whereas significant negative correlation existed between positive communication of FCQ and PRS, and between knowledge questionnaire and STAI-S. In the control group, significant negative correlation existed between information of FCQ and PRS, and between positive communication of FCQ and PRS. 3) In the education group, significant positive correlation existed between calculated differences of worry questionnaire and age of patient, whereas significant negative correlation existed between knowledge questionnaire and duration of illness. However, in the control group, there was no significant correlation. Conclusion : The brief program of family education was effective in increasing knowledge about schizophrenia, decreasing worry and anxiety about the patients in families with schizophrenic patient. In the education group as knowledge about schizophrenia increased, anxiety about schizophrenic patient decreased, but there was no significant correlation in the control group. As relative's rejection feeling about schizophrenic patient decreased, positive communication strategy increased in both groups. However, the control group was more affected by rejection feeling than the education group.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 2004

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life of caretaking family members who have a patient with psychiatric disorders. The results will be served as a basic data of ameliorating the quality of life of caregivers. Methods: 78 caretaking family members who have a patient with schizophrenia and 54 caretaking family members who have a patient with alcohol dependence, a total of 132 persons completed the questionnaire, and analyzed. The Korean version of the SmithKline Beecham Quality of Life Scale and the Family Burden Scale were applied. Results: There was no statistically significant correlation between burden and sex, age, income, and duration of living with patients before onset. The male caregiver showed higher quality of life than that of female. It showed statistically significant correlation between age and factor physical well-being and factor activity. 41% of variance of quality of life of caregivers were explained by the stress response, burden, and overall merits of the field of psychiatry, and the tension had the most explanatory power. Conclusion: The chronic illness may give a burden on caregivers, and that decrease the quality of life of caregivers. The longer duration of illness of patients, the lower quality of life of caregivers on competence factor. Therefore, the authors recommend the therapeutic modality must be offered to the caregivers who may experience the stress and burden.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.170-175
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• 1999

Until recently, the etiology of schizophrenia was generally attributed to abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Specifically, an excess of dopaminergic activity in the mesolimbic system has been postulated to produce the positive symptoms, while decreased dopaminergic activity in the mesocortical system has been suggested to cause negative symptoms. Accordingly, we performed an association study of schizophrenia with TH gene. Three hundred and seventy four biologically unrelated schizophrenic patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria from Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital affiliated with Catholic university of Korea were recruited for our study. The 393 healthy controls were volunteers for DNA library of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital without personal or family history of psychiatric and neurologic illness. DNA was extracted from peripheral mononuclear cells and polymorphic region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. TH intron 1 VNTR polymorphism was typed by silver staining. The allele distributions of TH gene were not different between schizophrenics and controls. However, the frequency of allele A was significantly higher in positive group than that of negative group of schizophrenics. These findings suggest that poitive schizophrenia may be associated with allele A of TH gene.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1155-1163
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was designed to examine the effects of a solution-focused group counseling program on the family burden, active coping, expressed emotion, and family support in schizophrenic patients and their families. Method: The subjects consisted of 48 schizophrenic patients and 56 families. Twenty-four schizophrenic patients and 28 families were assigned to both the experimental and control groups. The solution-focused group counseling program was conducted for the families of the experimental group, but not for the control group or the patients of the experimental group. Result: There was a significant greater decrease in scores of family burden and expressed emotion in the experimental groups than the control groups. There was a larger increase in active coping scores in the experimental groups than the control groups, but it was not significant. There was no significant difference between the two groups in family support scores. Conclusion: This program may be an effective nursing intervention program for families with schizophrenic members.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.738-748
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a coping scale for families of patients with schizophrenia (CSFPS). Methods: Item construction was derived from literature reviews and interviews with family members and psychiatric nurses. Content validity was tested by experts. Each item was scored on a four-point Likert scale. The preliminary questionnaire was administered to 188 family members of patients with schizophrenia. The data were analyzed using item analysis, factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha. Results: From the factor analysis, 32 items in five factors were derived. The factors were named active coping strategies, avoidance coping strategies, hospital treatment-oriented coping strategies, emotional coping strategies, and suppressive coping strategies for problematic behaviors. The five factors explained 49.7% of the total variance, Cronbach's alpha of the total items was .83 and the factors ranged from .66 to .86. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that CSFPS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure coping in families of patients with schizophrenia.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.41
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• pp.173-200
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to examine the variables that may influence the level of family adaptation to schizophrenic patients using the Family Resiliency Model. The Family Resiliency Model is the most current extension of family stress Model. According to the Family Resiliency Model, The level of family adaptation in the face of a crisis situation is determined by a number of interacting components. The subjects are 151 family members with schizophrenic patient. The result from the research were as follows: 1) The following variables significantly correlated with the family adaptation: income of the family, educational level of the family, intimacy between family and patient, knowledge on schizophrenia, recognition of prognosis on schizophrenia. 2) The factors that compose the Family Resiliency Model significantly correlated with the level of family adaptation. 3) The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that factors which predict the level of family adaptation were the family control, the quality of family communication, and the support from the extended family, these findings give us significant practical implications for social work intervention.