• Anxiety and mood
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 2013

Objective : The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between childhood abuse and affective symptom including resilience in patients with depression or anxiety. Methods : A total 256 outpatients diagnosed with depressive disorder or anxiety disorder according to DSM IV-TR, were evaluated with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (PCCTS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Independent t-test, Chi-square analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to identify the demographics of patients and the relationship between affective symptoms including resilience and childhood abuse. Results : Among demographic and clinical variables, patients with childhood abuse history were significantly higher rate in patients who were living alone and unemployed. In affective symptoms, patients with childhood abuse history were significant more severe in depressive symptoms, and state anxiety score than patients without history of childhood abuse. Patients with childhood abuse history had higher score for trait anxiety and lower score for resilience than patients who had no history of childhood abuse. Conclusion : These finding suggest that history of childhood abuse might be risk factor on depressive and anxiety symptoms severity. And this might be a predictable factor of poor treatment outcome.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2011

Objectives : We examined the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Depression and Somatic Symptom Scale (DSSS) in Korean patients with depressive symptoms. Methods : Participants were 55 outpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, a depressive episode of bipolar I disorder, somatoform disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria. We assessed them using the Korean versions of the DSSS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self Report (QIDS-SR). Results : The Korean version DSSS had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.90. Moreover, each item's correlation with the total score was statistically significant (r=0.24-0.71, p<0.01). The test-retest correlation coefficient (r=0.83, p<0.01) was relatively high, and the DSSS correlations with the HDRS and QIDS-SR were 0.77 and 0.74, respectively. Conclusion : These results demonstrate that the Korean version of the DSSS could be a reliable and valid tool for screening and assessing depressive patients. The Korean version of the DSSS will be a useful tool for screening both depressive and somatic symptoms in Korea.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2019

Objectives: Insomnia patients who visited the psychiatric outpatient of a university department, were divided into those patients with insomnia alone and those with depression or anxiety disorder, along with insomnia. The study analyzed their demographic characteristics and the differences in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) results among the patient groups. Methods: Patients who visited the psychiatric department in Konkuk University hospital from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2018. If they were diagnosed with insomnia disorder based on DSM IV-TR and had undergone STAI, their electronic records were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the records, the patients were classified into those with insomnia disorder only, those with insomnia and anxiety disorder, and those with insomnia and depressive disorder. This study analyzed the demographic characteristics and STAI results of each group, and compared the differences among those groups. Results: During the period, 99 of 329 insomnia disorder patients who had performed STAI were diagnosed with depressive concurrent disorder and 61 with concurrent anxiety disorder. There was no difference in demographic characteristics of age and sex ratio among the three patient groups, and all had greater than 70% proportions of patients aged from 50s to 70s (71.8%, 77.1%, and 73.8% respectively). The average scores of STAI-I were 51.85 ± 10.15 for the patients with anxiety disorders and 54.18 ± 10.32 for those with depressive disorders, both of which were higher than the score of the patients with insomnia alone (44.55 ± 8.89). However, the score difference was not statically significant between the anxiety and depression groups. Similarly, in the STAI-II comparison, the averages of patients with anxiety or depressive disorders along with insomnia were 49.98 ± 8.31 and 53.19 ± 10.13 respectively, which were higher than that of the insomnia only group (42.71 ± 8.84), but there was no significant difference between the anxiety and depressive disorder groups. Conclusion: Although there were no differences in demographic data between the patients with insomnia only and those with accompanying depressive or anxiety disorder, the STAI-I and II scores were lower in the insomnia only group. In the future, it is necessary to consider other demographic characteristics including comorbidities and to conduct similar analyses with a larger sample.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2015

Objective : Positive psychotherapy is based on the premise that positive thoughts and satisfaction with life are determinants for improving the symptoms of depressive disorder. This article highlights the effectiveness of group positive psychotherapy on the elderly living alone with depressive disorder in Korea. Methods : A total of 25 Korean elderly living alone with depressive disorder participated in group positive psychotherapy. The participants completed the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and the Positive Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) before and after the group positive psychotherapy. Results : The HAMD and PTQ scores of the participants after the group positive psychotherapy were higher than before the psychotherapy. A correlation between the age of patients and improvement of symptoms after group positive psychotherapy was found : the older the patients were, the better the improvements were. Conclusion : The study shows that group positive psychotherapy in the elderly living alone is effective in improving the symptoms of depressive disorder. The participant's age was found to be a factor that affects the improvement of depressive disorder symptoms.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2007

Object : This study was designed to assess the change of heart rate variability (HRV) during stimulation test among the patients with major depressive disorder. Methods : 15 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 15 normal controls were enrolled in this study. We sequentially measured HRV at baseline, during cognitive stimuli and emotional stimuli. Results : There are significant differences between the two groups in HRV index, TINN on baseline state and under cognitive stimulus. Conclusion : Stimulation protocol using HRV can be useful in estimating autonomic nervous function.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2021

Objectives : Although dysfunctional breathing is a common symptom in general population and affects qualities of life, it is still underdiagnosed. There are some studies of prevalence of it in astma, but few studies in anxiety and depressive disorders. The purposes of this study were to explore the prevalence of it in anxiety and depressive disorders, and to investigate whether anxiety and depressed mood influence it. Methods : 135 patients diagnosed with anxiety or depressive disorders, and 124 controls were recruited. Nijmegen questionnaire was used to assess dysfunctional breathing, and Hospital anxiety depression scale was used. Results : The prevalence of dysfunctional breathing in anxiety or depressive disorders was higher than that in control. In the linear regression model, anxiety accounted for 59.6% of dysfunctional breathing, but depressed mood did not. With covariate adjusted for anxiety, scores of dysfunctional breathing in anxiety or depressive disorders were higher than in controls. Conclusions : Dysfunctional breathing in anxiety or depressive disorders is higher than that in control. Adjusting anxiety, its difference is still. Anxiety affects dysfunctional breathing, but depressed mood does not.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2005

Objective:The purposes of this study were to investigate heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder(GAD) compared with major depressive disorder in Korea. Methods:Fifty-six GAD patients(20 male and 36 female) was classified into their comorbid psychiatric illness. Among them, Twenty-five patients(10 male and 15 female) who do not have any psychiatric comorbidity were compared with 30 major depressive disorder patients(12 male and 18 female). Clinical symptoms, HRV and MMPI were analysed between two group. Results:Comorbid psychiatric illnesses of GAD were ranked into no diagnosis(44.6%), MDD(32.1%), panic disorder(10.7%), social phobia(5.3%), PTSD(1.7%), OCD(1.7%), MDD+panic disorder(1.7%) and MDD+specific phobia(1.7%). GAD patients showed low functioning in HRV, but degree of decreasing HRV is not so severe compared with MDD patient. Balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve tone is more severely impaired in GAD patients compared with MDD patient. The score of MMPI did not reveal any differences between two groups. Conclusions:The result showed that HRV can differenciate GAD and MDD patients. GAD patients could show decreased HRV functioning, less than MDD patients. But autonomic imbalance could be more severe in GAD than MDD patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.45-52
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• 2018

Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, temperaments, and quality of life between panic disorder (PD) patients with and without major depressive disorder (PD+MDD and PD-MDD patients, respectively). Methods We compared 411 PD-MDD and 219 PD+MDD patients. All patients who were drug-free for at least 1 month were assessed at initial outpatient visits before the administration of medication. The following instruments were used for assessment: the NEO Personality Inventory-Neuroticism (NEO-N) ; the Temperament and Character Inventory-Harm Avoidance (TCI-HA) ; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) ; the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short (IUS); the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R); the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) ; the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) ; the Generalized Anxiety Disorder for 7 item (GAD-7) ; the Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ) ; the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) ; the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF) ; the Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) ; the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF) ; the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) ; and the Short Form health survey (SF-36). Results Compared to the PD-MDD patients, the PD+MDD patients were younger and more likely to be unmarried. They showed higher rates of unemployment, lower levels of education and income, younger age of onset, more previous suicide attempts, a greater incidence of agoraphobia, and more previous treatments. The PD+MDD patients showed significantly higher scores on the NEO-N, the TCI-HA, the STAI, the IUS, the ASI-R, the BDI, the BAI, the PSWQ, the GAD-7, the APPQ, the PDSS, the ETISR-SF, and the SSI. In addition, the PD+MDD patients showed significantly lower quality of life than did the PD-MDD patients. In contrast with previous studies, we observed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, duration until treatment, and psychiatric comorbidities. Conclusions This study showed that the PD+MDD patients have more early trauma experiences, higher levels of anxiety-related temperaments, more severe panic and depressive symptoms, and lower quality of life than the PD-MDD patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2007

Objectives : Studies have reported differences between depressed adults and controls in quantitative measures of EEG alpha asymmetry, but, there are few using Korean subjects. So, the present study compared EEG regional alpha asymmetries of patients having major depressive disorder(MDD) and normal controls. Methods : The subjects in this study were 11 unmedicated unipolar depressed patients and 11 non-depressed, age matched controls. Resting EEG(eyes closed and eyes open) was recorded from each participant using 8 scalp electrodes. Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HDRS), Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS) and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms. Results : The severities of depression measured by self-report questionnaires were positively associated with those of anxiety(state and trait) ; The subjects were both anxious and depressed. Anxious-depressed patients differed from controls in alpha asymmetry at T4 channels. They showed evidence of greater activation over right than left temporal site. Conclusion : These findings are consistent with the previousely reported alpha asymmetry of depressed patients with an anxiety disorder. The failure to find the evidence of reduced right parietal activity in depression is presumed to be due to opposing effects of comorbid anxiety on parietotemporal activity.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2012

Objective : Individuals with anxiety disorders experience a wide range of time to seeking treatment (TST) as well as various comorbid mental disorders. The present study examined the TST in social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder. This study aimed to find out the influence of comorbid mental disorder on TST of anxiety disorder through the comparison of SAD and panic disorder. Methods : This study included 311 SAD and 378 panic disorder patients at the initial visit of psychiatric clinic. Contribution of clinical (number of comorbidity, comorbid type and onset age) and demographic (current age) factors to TST were investigated by multivariate analysis. Results : The median length of TST was 14.03 years in SAD and 2.26 years in panic disorder. In social anxiety disorder, fewer comorbidity, younger onset age, and older age were factors associated with delayed TST. In panic disorder, only younger onset age was associated with delayed TST. In both disorders, comorbid depressive disorder was associated with shorter TST. Conclusion : Our data provided the differences in illness behavior needing help based on comorbid mental disorders between SAD and panic disorder. In addition to comorbid disorder, factors affecting TST of anxiety disorder requires future investigation.