• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.562-569
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of total payment for mental and behavioral disorders patients admitted through the emergency room. Study data was selected from the Korean National Health Insurance sample data in 2009. This data was consisted of 753 inpatients who are 331 inpatients with only main sick(F31-F39) and 422 inpatients with main sick codes(F31-F39) and sub sick(F00-F99) admitted through the emergency room. SPSS v.18 was used for the statistical analysis such as descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. In multiple regression analysis, significant variables affecting total payment of main sick patients were gender(p<.01), treatment result(p<.001), path of the emergency room(p<.001), and length of stay(p<.001). Also, main sick patients with sub sick were gender(p<.01), age(p<.001), treatment result(p<.001), path of the emergency room(p<.001), and length of stay(p<.001). These findings implied that it is necessary to build short, middle, and longterm program and system for high risk mental and behavioral disorders groups.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.185-194
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• 1997

A comparison was made regarding illness behavior among patients with somatoform disorders, depressive disorders and psychosomatic disorders. The subjects consisted of out-patients with somatoform disorders(N=52), depressive disorders(N=52) and psychosomatic disorders(N=51). illness behavior was assessed by illness Behavior Assessment Schedule and the questionnaire about help-seeking behavior. The patients with somatoform disorders and psychosomatic disorders more often affirmed the presence of somatic disease, were more likely to have phobia of disease, had more preoccupation with ideas of disease and more frequently shopped around oriental clinics than the patients with depressive disorders. The patients with somatoform disorders more often attributed its cause to physical factors, less often attributed the origin of affective disturbance to psychological causes, showed Less depression and irritability, and were less likely to accept psychiatric treatment recommended by other physicians than depressive patients. The patients with somatoform disorders were more likely to report having been told that they suffered from a mild illness than those with psychosomatic disorders. The patients with somatoform disorders with psychological problems tended to inhibit expression of their emotion. Female patients with somatoform disorders more often affirmed the presence of psychological disorder and attributed its cause to psychological factors than male ones. These results suggest that in illness behavior, patients with somatoform disorders are different from depressive patients, whereas the former patients are similar to psychosomatic patients except the discrepancy between therapists and patients regarding evaluation of their symptoms. Thus, it is emphasized that first, therapists need to approach patients with somatoform disorders somatically with understanding of their underlying need to deny psychological problems, followed by either psychological or biopsychosocial approach.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.35-39
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• 2022

REM sleep behavior disorder is parasomnia characterized by unpleasant dreams and dream-enactment behaviors associated with excessive electromyography activity in REM sleep. This may appear idiopathic or secondary to other neurological or medical conditions. REM sleep behavior disorder, which appears to be idiopathic, most often implies the possibility of later neurodegenerative diseases due to synucleinopathy, so accurate diagnosis is important in predicting prognosis. For the diagnosis of REM sleep behavioral disorder, REM sleep without atonia, which appears in the polysomnography, is essential. Obstructive sleep apnea, trauma-related sleep disorders, and vigorous periodic leg movements during sleep are known as diseases that show dream enactment behavior in elderly patients. Considering that it may be accompanied by other sleep disorders that can mimic REM sleep behavioral disorders, it is important to differentiate sleep

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 1996

In adolescence, the symptoms of depression are more various and different from those of adult. Conduct behaviours are frequently represented in adolescent's depression. The patients who have the depression and conduct disorder are defined as depressive condor disorder in ICD-10. We hypothesized that there might be different parental rearing patterns between the patients with depression alone and the depressive conduct disorder. We applied children's depression inventory (CDI), parental rating form for conduct disorder based on DSM-III-R, and parental bonding instrument (PBI) to patients and normal control adolescent group. The results were as follows : 1) There were no significant differences in severity of depressive symptoms, maternal care, maternal overprotection, and paternal care. 2) Paternal overprotection showed significant higher scores in depressive conduct disorder group than depression group and normal control group. 3) There were positive correlations in the severity of depressive symptoms and behavior problems in all subjects. 4) There were no correlations in maternal care and overprotecion with conduct problems, but with depressive symptoms in all subject. 4) There were no correlations in paternal care with conduct problems and depressive symptoms in all subjects. 5) There were significant correlations in patienral overprotective, intrusive attitudes with conduct problems, not with depressive symptoms in all subjects.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2021

Patients complaining with somatic symptoms are very common in clinical practice, and are often consulted to medical department. But it is difficult to treat well. The treatment of somatic symptom disorder is multi-modal as none of the methods on their own provide a satisfactory outcome. The treatment of somatic symptoms disorders is complicated by lack of boundary, conceptual clarity, and overemphasis on psychosocial causation and effectiveness of psychological treatments. In clinical practice all classes of psychotropics are used to treat somatic symptoms disorder. Drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inibitors(SSRI), serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), atypical antipsychotics are studied. The evidence indicates that these drugs are effective in somatic symptom disorders. All classes of antidepressants seem to be effective against somatic symptom disorders. SSRIs are more effective against hypochondriasis and body dysmorphic disorder, and SNRIs appear to be more effective than other antidepressants when pain is predominant. The author suggest that psychiatrists should know how to treat patients complaining with somatic symptoms by using not only psychotherapeutic approach but also pharmacological treatment. It will be helpful to reduce suffering and increase quality of life of these patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2017

Objectives : The aim of this study was to draw attention toward so called 'behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia(bvFTD) phenocopy syndrome', which is difficult to discriminate with the primary psychiatric disorders, showing poor response to conventional therapeutic drugs, leading to higher risk to misdiagnoses and legal problems. Furthermore, the author insisted that our interest and study on them must be continued. Methods : English articles published during 2000 thru 2016 had been searched by internet with the combination of words such as 'frontotemporal', 'phenocopy' and 'behavioral', and reviewed. Besides, two clinical vignettes were described. Results : Precise diagnosis is important because patients' behavioral symptoms can influence on their families and community. However, disease-modifying treatment for bvFTD are not developed until now, and recent therapeutic drugs are only good for specific symptoms, while deterioration progresses in spite of proper psychiatric management. The possible bvFTD patients are not progressed into probable bvFTD clinically, showing no decline of cogntive and social function, no decrease of activity function, longer survival time, and normal neuroimaging for several years. Conclusions : Rather than expected, there are much more patients having clinical symptoms, course and diagnostic findings including neuroimaging, which are atypical to classical frontotemporal dementia and primary psychiatric disorders. If our knowledge and discriminating ability is improved, discovery rate of that cases will be increased. However, the identity of these atypical features are not clarified until now, it must be further actively investigated.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2016

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings, impoverished fantasy life, and concrete and poorly introspective thinking. Alexithymic patients have been reported to show a stable deficit with regard to processing and regulating emotions. Eating disorders are characterized by a persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning. Like alexithymic patients, patients with eating disorders show the impaired capacity to process and regulate emotions. There is a robust body of literature showing patients with eating disorders are more alexithymic than healthy controls. Specifically, patients with eating disorders experience difficulties identifying and describing emotions. Childhood maltreatment can increase the risk for depression and alexithymia, which can in turn lead to disordered eating symptoms. Also, higher levels of alexithymia are correlated with a less favorable clinical outcome in patients with eating disorder. Therefore, treatments to help processing and regulating emotions of eating disorder patients with pronounced alexithymic traits may seem to lead to a higher possibility of recovery.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.103-115
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• 1999

Objectives : A large of studies have found an association between premenstrual syndrome and affective disorder, in particular, depression. Some studies have reported that women with depressive disorders may experience menstrual cycle-associated changes in the severity of their symptoms. This study was designed to compare the characteristics of premenstrual changes between control group and affective patient group, and to assess possible risk factors for premenstrual changes in patients. Methods : Eighty normal controls and eighty outpatients given maintenance therapy with fixed dose for at least more than four weeks were asked to complete questionnaires on menstrual history, obstetric-gynecological history, and functional impairment. In addition, to compare the characteristics of premenstrual changes, 16 items based on DSM-IV criteria A for premenstrual dysphoric disorder were rated on the following scale : 0(no change), 1(mild), 2(moderate), 3(severe). Moderate or severe change in each item was considered as premenstrual change and the subjects who reported more than one premenstrual change were defined as premenstrual change group. Results : The results were as follows : 1) The percentage of premenstrual change group was 32.6% in patient group and 50% in control group. 2) Frequently reported premenstrual changes were as follows in control group : breast tenderness; anger ; affective liability ; lethargy, easy fatigability, or marked lack of energy ; abdominal pain or discomfort. In patients, the mood or behavioral changes were frequently reported. The changes were as follows : lethargy, easy fatigability, or marked lack of energy ; change in appetite; affective liability ; sense of difficulty in concentrating : hypersomnia or insomnia. 3) In the premenstrual change group, the patients with only mood or behavioral changes were significantly more than those with only physical changes or both changes. 4) The severity of functional impairment was significantly correlated with the frequency of mood or behavioral changes in patients. 5) There were no significant differences in menstrual characteristics between patients with premenstrual changes and patients without them except the severity of dysmenorrhea. And the severity of dysmenorrhea was correlated with the frequency of premenstrual change. Conclusion : The proportion of patients with affective disorder, who reported moderate-to-severe premenstrual changes, experiencing mood or behavioral changes larger than those experiencing physical changes during premenstrual period. It is possible that some patients with affective disorder, who reported premenstrual mood or behavioral changes, suffer from coexisting premenstrual syndrome with affective disorder or premenstrual exacerbation of affective disorder. Since the more premenstrual changes, the severer functional impairment, the patients reporting mood or behavioral disturbance in premenstrual period should be carefully evaluated, and appropriate therapeutic stategies might be considered.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 1997

Enuresis is repeated involuntary or intentional voiding of urine into bed or clothes over age 5. Though it would be a self-remitting disorder, it could be serious problem in emotional and socio-adaptational aspects. The author reviewed the enuretic patients of Child & Adolescence psychiatric section in Chungnam National University Hospital during past 3 years. 46(4.9%) of 936 patients were diagnosed as enuresis in DSM-Ⅳ. The author evaluated their comorbidity by the data of diagnostic review made in two psychiatrists, and emotional aspects(self-concept, anxiety, depression) through the self-rating scales (Piers-Harris children’ self concept scales, RCMAS, state-trait anxiety inventory for children, child’s depresson inventory). Thirty(65.2%) of the 46 enuretic patients had additional diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder, mental retardation, encopresis, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, autism, somatoform disorder, tic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sleep disorder, etc. Sixteen enuretic patients had at least one comorbid disorder. Eleven patients had two, and three patients had more than three. Fourteen of 46 enuretic patients were evaluated through self-rating scales of self-concept, anxiety and depression. But we couldn’t obtain meaningful results. Maybe it was due to the small sample size(N＝14) and the influence of the comorbid disorders. Finally, it was an impressive evidence that there exist many comorbid disorders in enuresis(esp. attention deifict/hyperactive disorder). In emotional aspects, the author thought that further evaluation should be needed for more meaningful results.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 1995

외상후 뇌손상은 대표적이며, 가장 중요한 신경정신계 질환의 하나이다. 더욱이 외상후 뇌손상 환자들은 각종의 사고 및 산업재해 등으로 인해 그 수가 급증하고 있으며, 특히 인지기능의 장애로 인한 다양한 기질성 정신장애로 고통을 겪게 된다. 따라서 외상후 뇌손상은 손상의 시점에서부터 정확하고 올바른 평가는 물론 손상후의 경과 및 치료대책의 수립에 있어서 체계적이며 종합적인 신경인지기능의 평가는 필수적이다. 왜냐하면 신경인지기능평가는 뇌의 손상부위와 이와 관련된 기능장애 및 행동의 변화에 대한 객관적인 자료를 제시해 주기 때문이다. 신경인지기능 평가의 영역은 지각, 운동기능은 물론 주요인지기능인 기억, 언어, 실행 및 감정조절능력에 이르기까지 다양하며, 외상후 뇌손상환자들은 손상부위 및 정도에 따라 신경인지기능의 장애를 초래하게 된다. 대표적인 신경인지기능평가 도구로는 KWIS, Halstead-Reitan, Luria-Nebraska batteries, 특히 전두엽기능검사인 Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)를 비롯하여, 현재는 PC/S Vienna Test System 및 Stim등의 각종 전산화 인지기능검사가 개발되어 임상에서 활발히 사용되고 있다. 즉 외상후 뇌손상환자를 위한 신경인지기능평가의 목적은 뇌손상과 관련된 신경인지기능장애를 정확히 평가하여, 환자 개개인에 적합한 인지재활치료 계획을 수립하는데 있다. 물론 여기에는 신경정신상태검사(neuropsychiatric mental status examination)를 통하여 외상 후 뇌손상의 경과 및 예후에 결정적인 영향을 미칠 수 있는 나이, 의식소실 및 외상후 기억 손상 시간의 정확한 측정은 물론 심리 사회 문화적인 상태와 두부외상전 환자의 지적수준 및 사회 적용기능이 함께 평가되어야 할 것이다.