• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 2022

Background: The present objective was to verify whether burnout (emotional exhaustion [EE], depersonalization [DP] and low professional efficacy [PE]) is a risk factor for long-term sickness absence (LTSA; 30 consecutive days) from the teaching role. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study with two years of follow-up that investigated 509 elementary and high-school teachers. Burnout was identified by Maslach Burnout Inventory. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to adjust for possible confounders. Results: The incidence of LTSA was 9.4%. High EE levels were associated with LTSA in the crude analysis, but the association lost statistical significance after adjustments (for sex, age, perception of work-life balance, general self-rated health, chronic pain and depression). High DP levels were associated with this outcome, even after all adjustments (relative risk = 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-3.09). Low PE levels were not related to LTSA. Conclusion: The results reinforce the need to improve teachers' work conditions to reduce burnout, particularly DP, and its consequences.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.846-854
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the case of a patient with Parkinson's disease experiencing anxiety and insomnia treated with Korean medicine therapies. Methods: A patient diagnosed with Parkinson's disease with anxiety and insomnia was treated with Korean medicine therapies, including herbal medication (Gyejigayonggolmolye-tang), acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and moxibustion, for 18 days. To evaluate the therapeutic effect, we checked the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores to monitor anxiety and insomnia. Results: After treatment, the patient's BAI and ISI scores for anxiety and insomnia decreased. Further, the patient and her protector mentioned that their quality of life had improved. Conclusion: These results suggest that Korean medicine therapies with Gyejigayonggolmolye-tang have a beneficial effect on anxiety and insomnia in patients with Parkinson's disease.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.123-136
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• 2004

Objective : Because the cause and etiology of chronic headache is not yet fully explained, the treatment of this symptom is not simple. This study compares the effects of aroma acupuncture and normal acupuncture applied on chronic headache patients, in order to establish a primary data for further studies of new treatments and developments of new practical acupunctures. Methods : 38 clinical experiment participants were gathered and through a questionnaire patients who experienced headache for more than 4 hours a day and more than 15 days per month were qualified as Chronic Headache patients. The qualified patients were classified in to two groups, aroma acupuncture group(Aroma AT group, n=23) and normal acupuncture group(AT group, n=15). Treatment was applied 2 times a weeks for 8 weeks. The acupoints, GV20, HN23, ST8, HN46, TE17, GB20, LI20, LI11, LI14, ST36, and LR3 were stimulated for 20 minutes in both the groups. The effects of both groups were analyzed using VAS scores and BPI (Brief Pain Inventory). Results : The VAS pain scores improved significantly in both groups. The decrease rate was larger in the Aroma AT group(p<0.05). The BPI scores for the both groups also decreased. The improvement in the Aroma AT group was larger(p<0.05). Conclusion : Aroma acupuncture applied on chronic headache patients showed effects of relieving pain, improving general activities, changing the mood, and improving sleeping behaviors. These effects were analyzed using VAS scores and BPI. The Aroma AT group showed significant changes of VAS and BPI compared to the AT group, suggesting that this new practical acupuncture is very effective when treating chronic headaches. Further researches are needed to evaluate the distinct functional mechanism of aroma acupuncture, but this study is meaningful in the sense that it will act as a fundamental study to build on.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.251-263
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to review the clinical research trends in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Korean medicine (KM). Methods: We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, Google Scholar and five Korean databases through May 2019, for studies on KM to treat PTSD. Clinical research that conducted KM treatment of PTSD patients were included. Two researchers independently conducted study selection and data extraction process. Results: Totally, eight studies were included in this review. Types of traumatic events that patients experienced included physical violence/threatening, traffic accidents, sexual violence and personal tragic events. KM interventions performed included acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, physical therapy, and KM-based psychotherapy. Treatment duration varied from two days to more than five months. Follow-up began at least one week to three months after the end of treatments. It was reported that the major psychological and/or somatic symptoms of PTSD, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and musculoskeletal pain, subjectively improved, as well as other objective outcomes: Impact Event Scale-Revised Korean version (IES-R-K), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hwabyung Symptoms/characters, Electroencephalography (EEG) change, etc. Statistical studies were conducted in three studies only. Outcomes such as Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), BDI, and IES-R-K showed statistically significant improvement after KM treatments. There was no study reporting adverse events during or after the interventions. Conclusions: According to this review, diverse types of KM treatments have been used among PTSD patients in eight studies. The KM treatments effectively improved psychological and somatic symptoms of PTSD patients. However, the lack of high quality research as well as the lack of standardization of KM treatments for PTSD are limitations. Further methodologically robust clinical trials should be performed, and the standardization of KM treatments for PTSD should be sought.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.5-20
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• 1985

The purpose of this study was to assess the value-of post-operative treatment in terms of nursing care in the allevation of pain. More specifically, the effects of supportive touch and patient education were examined. On the date before each patient's operation, the Bevels of anxiety, depression and affiliation were examined. The post-operative treatment was adminis. tered after an initial measurement of the patient's fain, according to the experimental category for the three days following the operation. On the final day, the level of anxiety and depression were again measured. The subjects of this study were 138 patient from the general surgical and gynecological wards in H university Hospital in Seoul. The study was conducted over a three-month period from June 24, 1984 to September 18, 1984. All patients had undergone laparatomies. Various standard instruments were used to measure the pain, anxiety, depression and affiliation levels. for pain, 5 grate Simple Descriptive Scale, and the Mclachlan four-range Observational Pain Scale were employed. For anxiety and depression, respectively the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory (B.D.I.) were used. Lastly, the affiliation was determined by the Mehrabian Affiliation Scale. The outcome of the research was as follows: 1. The first hypothesis concerning the existence of lower pain levels of Experimental Group A and Experimental Group B than the pain levels of Control Croup C was not supported. 2. The second hypothesis concerning the existence if lower anxiety levels of Experimental Group A and Experimental Group B than the anxiety levels of Control Group C was supported at the level of F=3.58 (p=.03). 3. The third hypothesis concerning the existence of lower depression levels of Experimental Group A and Experimental Group B than the depression levels of Control Group C was not supported. 4. The fourth hypothesis concerning the existence of different levels of pain in accordance with the levels of affiliation in Experimental Group A was not supported. 5. A positive correlation did exist between pain and anxiety after surgery (r=.34, p=.0001). Thus, the fifth hypothesis was supported. 6. A positive correlation did exist between pain and depression following surgery(r=.36, p=.0001). Thus, the sixth hypothesis was supported. Based on the above results, it was found that supportive touch and patient education either through human sources or via tape recorder do influence the anxiety of a patient after surgery, that a Positive correlation between pain, anxiety and deparession exist, that affiliation does not alter the influence of supportive touch, and that the graph on which pain levels were depicted indicates the possibility of development even if the effects of supportive touch did not reach a meaningful level. Thus it can be concluded that patient education, regardless of its form, is essential for the patient after surgery and that supportive touch, when reasonably modified and supplemented, can be an effective method of alleviating pain.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.109-119
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• 2016

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of yearly changes in growing degree days (GDD) on the potential distribution and growth of Quercus mongolica in Korea. Annual tree-ring growth data of Quercus mongolica collected by the $5^{th}$ National Forest Inventory were first organized to identify the range of current distribution for the species. Yearly GDD was calculated based on daily mean temperature data from 1951 to 2010 for counties with current distribution of Q. monglica. When tree-ring growth data were analyzed through cluster analysis based on similarity of climatic conditions, seven clusters were identified. Yearly GDD based on daily mean temperature data of each county were calculated for each of the cluster to predict the change of potential distribution. Temperature effect indices were estimated to predict the effect of GDD on the growth patterns. In addition, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 of climate change scenarios were adopted to estimate yearly GDD and temperature effect indices from 2011 to 2100. The results indicate that the areas with low latitude and elevation exceed the upper threshold of GDD for the species due to the increase of mean temperature with climate change. It was also predicted that the steep increase of temperature will have negative influences on tree-ring growth, and will move the potential distribution of the species to areas with higher latitude or higher elevation, especially after the year of 2050. The results of this study are expected to provide valuable information necessary for estimating local growth characteristics and for predicting changes in the potential distribution of Q. mongolica caused by climate change.

• 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 Acupuncture Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.115-120
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• 2024

Background: Migraine is a common disabling headache that affects every aspect of a person's life. Auricular acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment modality for the management of painful neurological conditions. Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of a combination of ear points in the management of migraines. However, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of a single auricular point (i.e., sympathetic point) in migraine. Thus, this study evaluated the efficacy of sympathetic points on pain intensity and depression levels in patients with migraine. Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 100 patients with migraine aged 18-45 years were randomly divided into either an auricular acupuncture group (AAG) (n = 50) or a placebo control group (PCG) (n = 50). The AAG underwent needling at the sympathetic point (an auricular acupuncture point), whereas the PCG underwent needling at a non-acupuncture point for 20 minutes daily for 7 days. Assessments were performed before and after the intervention using a 6-item headache impact test (HIT-6) and Beck depression inventory (BDI) scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 16. Results: In within-group analysis, the AAG showed a significant reduction in HIT-6 and BDI, whereas the PCG showed a significant increase in HIT-6 and a significant reduction in BDI. In between-groups analyses, HIT-6 reduced significantly in the AAG compared with that in the PCG, whereas BDI reduced significantly in the PCG compared with that in the AAG. Conclusion: In patients with migraine, needling at the sympathetic point produces a greater reduction in the pain intensity level and lesser reduction in the depression level compared to needling at a non-acupuncture point.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.133-139
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy on headache, anxiety, and serum cortisol level in middle-aged women with recurrent headaches. Methods: Nineteen patients in the intervention group and 21 in the control group participated in the exercise. They were randomly selected volunteers whose average headache score over 6 months with above 4 points on the visual analogue scale (VAS). The experimental group received aromatherapy for 5 days; inhalation (3 times per day) and an application on the neck and both shoulders (one time per day). Prior and post treatment scores in headache, anxiety, and measurement of serum cortisol in experimental group were measured. Then, these were compared with the control group. The headache score was measured by VAS; anxiety score was measured by State Trait Anxiety Inventory; serum cortisol was measured by Radio-Immune-Assay method. Results: Decrease in headache, anxiety, and serum cortisol level in the experimental group was greater than those in the control group. Conclusion: It confirmed aromatherapy is effective in reducing headache, anxiety, and serum cortisol level.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.360-365
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of study was to investigate effects of dance sports in virtual reality on balance, depression, and activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients. Methods: Subjects of the research consisted of 18 stroke patients who were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups, with nine patients each. All subjects underwent 30 minutes of Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) and 15 minutes of Functional electrical stimulation (FES) five days per week for a period of six weeks. Subjects in the experimental group performed an extra 30 minutes of dance sports in virtual reality each day. Balance, depression, and ADL of patients before and after the experiment were measured using Berg's balance scale (BBS), Beck depression inventory (BDI), and Modified Barthel index (MBI), respectively. For comparisone of the state before and after the experiment, wilcoxon signed ranks test was applied and for comparison of the difference between the groups, mannn-whitney U test was applied. Results: Results of this study, showed significant difference in balance, depression, and ADL between the experimental and control groups(p<0.05). As a control of the two groups, the experimental group, which performed extra dance sports in virtual reality, showed a significant difference in balance, depression, and ADL(p<0.05). Conclusion: Depending on the result, a dance sport in virtual reality was verified to enhance balance, depression, and ADL in stroke patients. Therefore, from now on, need for effective program development and application using dance sports in virtual reality will arise.