• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.74-89
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• 1995

Selective mutism is a childhood condition defined by persisten failure to speak in specific social situation when speaking is expected, dispite preserved ability to comprehend spoken language and speak. Present study is to investigate clinical characteristics, treatment method and outcome of 23 children who were diagnosed as selective mutism by DSM-IV criteria at the child psychiatry ouptatient department of SNUH. The results were as follows : 1) The Sex ratio was 1: 4.8, female dominant Mear age of onset was 33 years old and mean age of first referral was 7.7 years old. 2) 22% of subjects had perinatal problem such as low birth weight, preterm birth, 26% of the subjects have history of delayed language development. There are subjects who had been separated with mam caretaker before 3 years old(26%) and who experienced physical or psychological trauma before 3 years old(26%). A few subjects had enurests(30%) and encoprests(4%). 3) Many subjects(65%) had symbiotic relationship with their mother. These families consist of dominant, verbally aggressive mother and passive father. Parents of 39% of all subjects were judged to have definite psychopathology(social phobic, depression, hysterical trait or alcohol problem) 26% of all subject, were reported physically abused. 4) The personality trait of the subjects were frequently described as follows(in order of frequency) ; Shy(100%), anxious(83%), stubborn(83%)m rigid and tense posture(78%), immature(65%) overdependent(65%), irritable(52%), manipulative(39%), depressive(39%). 5) The mean performance IQ of 16 subjects by KEDI-WISC was 88.3 Among them, the subjects with IQ below 69 were seven and those with IQ above 70 were nine. When comparing these two group(Mental retardation group vs Normal IQ group), we could find some difference in language development, personality trait, family dynamics and treatment outcome. 6) Among several treatment methods for selective mutism, play therapy was the most frequently used method(65%). Other commonly used treatment methods were pharmacotherapy(21%), behavioral therapy(8%), combined therapy(play therapy+pharmacotherapy+family therapy+behavioral therapy)(12%), 7) Regarding the outcome of treatment 8.6% was evaluated as Excellent, 30.4% as Good, 52% as Fair, 8.7% as Poor at the tinic of treatment. At follow up interview 21.7% was evaluated Excellent, 13% as Good, 21.7% as Fair, 34.8% as Poor. 8) We classified all subjects by Havden's 4 subtype. Symbiotic mutism was most common(65%) and other subtypes are Speech phobic mutism(8.6), Reactive mutism(13%) and Passive-aggressive mutism(30%).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.255-270
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents. Methods: This study had a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which involved a nationwide representative sample of 57,303 middle- and high-school students. Convenience-food consumption was defined by frequency of adolescents consuming convenience foods obtained from convenience stores, supermarkets, and cafeterias over the previous 7 days. The analyzed variables were related to sociodemographic, mental health, and health behavior. The Rao-Scott χ² test was applied to examine the difference in the rate of consuming convenience foods obtained from convenience stores according to each factor. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors that influence convenience-food consumption among Korean adolescents. Results: It was found that 29.1% of Korean adolescents consumed convenience foods obtained from convenience store more than three times per week. The significant influencing factors were female sex; low subjective academic achievement, and subjective household economic status; high perceived stress; low subjective sleep sufficiency; experience of depression; suicidal ideation; lower physical activity; skipping breakfast; lower consumptions of fruit, milk, and vegetables; higher consumptions of soda drinks, sweet drinks, caffeine, and fast food; lower water intake; current smoking and drinking; drug use; and experience of violence. Conclusion: These findings provide a better understanding of the sociodemographic, mental-health, and health-behavior factors that influence the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents. We suggest that differentiated policies, strategies, and nutrition education need to be developed and implemented, in order to address the above-mentioned factors and thereby reduce such behaviors among Korean adolescents.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.163-176
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender differences of peer relationship and to analyze the effects of the individual psychology and family variables on adolescents' peer relationships. The subject of this study were 1,444 students of second and third grade of middle school who reside in Seoul and 1,397 self reported questionnaires were used for final analysis. The major results of this study were as follows. First, the findings suggested that there were significant differences between female and male adolescents in peer relationships. Female adolescents' friendship quality was higher than male adolescents', and male adolescents' peer victimization was higher than female adolescents'. Second, higher self-esteem, positive parenting behavior, higher level of parental supervision and lower level of interparental conflict predicted higher level of friendship quality among male and female adolescents. Higher depression, lower self-esteem, positive parenting behavior, lower level of parental supervision and higher level of interparental conflict predicted higher peer victimization among male and female adolescents.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.657-667
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• 2015

This study examined the effectiveness of 'Forest Therapy (FT)' from the biological, neurocognitive and psychosocial perspectives. Adolescents who were classified as potential internet addicts took part in a FT program for two (once or twice) or three days. Before and after participating the program, Serum Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Comprehensive Attention Test (CAT), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were measured. It was found that FT led to positive consequences, indicated by increased serum BDNF, improved CAT performance, reduced internet use desire, greater resilience, and better social relationship. In addition, FT was partially effective in alleviating state anxiety level, when the participants were classified in accordance with FT exposure lengths. Overall, this study provides evidence that FT reduces symptoms related to internet addiction and promotes various qualities required for well-being.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.467-476
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• 2014

This study aims to determine the effects of mental health on obesity among Korean adolescents. The data in this study were obtained from the 2013 Korean Youth Health Risk Behavior Web-based Survey conducted in 70,354 adolescents aged twelve to eighteen (35,575 males and 34,779 females) from June 1 to 30, 2013. The variables included age, the economic status of household, academic achievement, health status, perceived happiness, perceived stress, satisfaction of sleeping, perceived depression, and suicidal ideation and the data were processed using t-test, chi square test, and logistic regression analysis. The general characteristics affecting obesity for both Korean male and female adolescents included age (p<0.001), the economic status of households (p<0.001), academic achievement (p<0.001), and health status (p<0.001); the variable of mental health affecting obesity was suicidal ideation among females (p<0.05). It is expected that female adolescents' experience of suicidal ideation can be used as information to predict the likelihood of obesity in managing an obesity program for adolescents and it is necessary to provide obesity education suitable for age and to include obesity guidance in consideration of gender and the economic status.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1283-1293
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare the health behaviors, mental health and internet addiction by gender differences among Korean adolescents and to examine relevances between health behaviors, mental health and internet addiction. The subjects were 73,238 Korean adolescents(male: 38,391, female: 34,847) who were recruited through national web-based survey. The data were derived from the Sixth Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey 2010 in South Korea. There were significant differences in health behaviors, mental health and internet addiction. by gender differences. Prevalence of internet addiction was male: 3.9%, female: 1.9% in this study. As the result of multiple logistic regression, the risk of internet addiction was increased in the case of smoking experience, substance experience, subjective health status, feeling of stress, depression experience, suicidal ideation, feeling of happiness, and sufficiency of sleeps in both male and female. Therefore, to decrease internet addiction prevalence, it is necessary to detect and manage the influencing risk factors of internet addiction such as health behaviors and mental health. And the health-promotion intervention to improve the internet addiction of adolescents should be planed and provided considering such differences by gender differences.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.52
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• pp.347.1-347.11
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• 2018

Background: Smartphone addiction has recently been highlighted as a major health issue among adolescents. In this study, we assessed the degree of agreement between adolescents' and parents' ratings of adolescents' smartphone addiction. Additionally, we evaluated the psychosocial factors associated with adolescents' and parents' ratings of adolescents' smartphone addiction. Methods: In total, 158 adolescents aged 12-19 years and their parents participated in this study. The adolescents completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) and the Isolated Peer Relationship Inventory (IPRI). Their parents also completed the SAS (about their adolescents), SAS-Short Version (SAS-SV; about themselves), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). We used the paired t-test, McNemar test, and Pearson's correlation analyses. Results: Percentage of risk users was higher in parents' ratings of adolescents' smartphone addiction than ratings of adolescents themselves. There was disagreement between the SAS and SAS-parent report total scores and subscale scores on positive anticipation, withdrawal, and cyberspace-oriented relationship. SAS scores were positively associated with average minutes of weekday/holiday smartphone use and scores on the IPRI and father's GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores. Additionally, SAS-parent report scores showed positive associations with average minutes of weekday/holiday smartphone use and each parent's SAS-SV, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scores. Conclusion: The results suggest that clinicians need to consider both adolescents' and parents' reports when assessing adolescents' smartphone addiction, and be aware of the possibility of under- or overestimation. Our results cannot only be a reference in assessing adolescents' smartphone addiction, but also provide inspiration for future studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Computer Game
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.101-110
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• 2018

This thesis analyzed the correlation between the psychological characteristics of adolescents and the use of games in the first year students of the national high school in 2016. The game is one of the representative entertainment industries in Korea and is an industry that has a great influence on becoming a powerhouse as cultural contents. However, games and immersion are expressed as a negative vocabulary of game addiction and are referred to as social problems and youth problems, and they give negative perception to the content of games. All users have the right to enjoy the content, but only negative words are used in poisonous games and they are packed as if they are social problems. In the present study, many emotional problems that were derived from previous studies were not related to game use in general adolescents. Through the questions related to 'depression', students who are not motivated or energy. The results of this study are as follows. First, the positive effects of game and youth emotional problems were derived through the conclusion that students who are active and emotionally bright are more likely to use game contents. This study was conducted to help change the social perception of the game positively by breaking the social fixed point of view that the emotionally troubled adolescents engage with the game and cause social problems.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2019

Objectives : The goals of the study are how to establish the cohort systems for the children and adolescents victims with sexual abuse in Korea and to identify the risk and protective factors that influence mental health in child sexual abuse (CSA). This is initial assessment data based on the analysis of cohort variables for baseline evaluation of subjects. Methods : We constructed the cohort systems for CSA victims recruited by Seoul Sunflower Children Center, CSA victims protection center. The initial assessment data which consisted of demographic and psychological inventories of CSA victims and their parents/families, psychiatric diagnoses were the results of statistical analysis of 65 subjects under 19 years old for 3 years 7 months. Results : The initial data were followings : female participants, N=56; mean age, 11.6 (SD=4.5); the most sexual assault, molestation 71.8%; victims, family and acquaintance 87.1%; 61.5% of the subjects diagnosed with psychiatric disorder; 29.2% diagnosed with PTSD and 23.1% diagnosed with depression. Mean duration for abuse to report is 1.5 years. Mean score of IES-R-K, TSCYC-avoidant and CBCL-problematic behavior were increased above clinical cut-off. Conclusions : CSA victims tend to have high risks in mental health problem. The cohort study could provide the risk and protective factors of CSA in mental health, and construct the predictive model for mental illness in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and its association with suicide attempts among clinically depressed adolescents in Korea. Methods : In total, 113 depressed adolescents aged 12-18 years in South Korea were enrolled in this study. We assessed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) using various self-reported scales and semi-structured interview for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects were compared between NSSI and non-NSSI groups. We examined significant predictors of suicide attempts using logistic regression analysis. Results : Among 113 depressed participants, 48 (42.1%) adolescents were classified into the NSSI group. In the NSSI group, there were significantly more females, showed higher depression, higher state-anxiety, and more suicide ideation. The most predictive factors of suicide attempts were history of NSSI, observed suicide/NSSI behaviors of their family or friends, and total state anxiety score. Conclusions : NSSI is more common problem among clinically depressed adolescents and history of NSSI is a significant predictor of present suicide attempts. To include the assessment of NSSI for clinically depressed adolescent may be crucial for intervention programs for high risk adolescents of suicide in Korea.