• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 1990

This study was intended to analyse the relation between the psychic traumatic experience and the psychological health of the aged. The authors carried out this study by means of the combined anxiety-depression scale(CADS) and the preadolescence traumatic experience scale(PTES) with 278 aged men and women residing in Taegu from September to October 1988. The results were as follows : 1. Based on the scores avaluated by CADS, the scores of the both groups showed that comparative group was accounted for $40.15{\pm}6.19$, while the experimental group for $57.75{\pm}6.37$, which showed significantly higher score in the experimental group(p<0.001). 2. The experimental group showed significantly higher early experience score than the comparative group in the dietary difficulty, alcoholism among family members, disunion between husband and wife, trouble between mother and children, early mother loss, parent's indifference and unwanted birth(p<0.001). 3. The experimental group showed higher early experience score than the comparative group by sex, age, marital status and grown location(p<0.001). 4. When the subjects were included in the unemployed and in the middle or low classes and their parents were engaged in agriculture and commercial business and believing in buddhism or non-religion, showed higher experience score (p<0.001).

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2006

Objectives: We studied to find out the relevant relationship between the type of residence and the level of mental depression among aged people. Methods: The authors surveyed 156 people who are over 65 in a small city. Here are three groups: 50 persons who live in the facility for the aged. 72 persons who live with their family and 34 persons who live alone. We developed the questionnaire and the severity of depressive symptoms was measured using Korean Form of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS) score. Results: Positive rate of depressive disorders among the aged people was 43.6%. Positive rate of depressive disorders among the aged who live in the facility for the aged was 42.0% and that persons who live with their family was 9.7%. It's more likely to be their gender, the marital status, schooling, going out and pocket money that affect on their mental depression. According to the multiple logistic regression, the odds ratios of the persons who live in the facility for the aged versus persons who live with their family and pocket money in a month were significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: The research shows that the mental depression in the aged people is more serious in the facility for the aged and also significantly related to their pocket money.

• The Journal of the Korean Institute of Forest Recreation
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.59-69
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• 2018

This is a cross-sectional study that suggests ways to activate forest welfare services (FWS) by investigating the infrastructure, service status, and perception on FWS in Korea. In August 2016, a structured email survey was conducted in nation widely. The respondents were mostly directors and general secretary (75.0%). The considerable number (16.3%) of nursing homes (NH) use some floors of the complex buildings that would be difficult to have FWS infrastructure and about 30% of those without forests near the facilities. The directors of NH recognize that FWS has positive effects on the elderly. However, FWS is not an requisite of the longterm care insurance benefit, and so costly and effort-intensive that FWS has not been activated so far. In order to activate FWS in NHs, it is necessary to develop and disseminate the guidelines on FWS that anyone can easily followed. In addition, when the National Health Insurance Corporation evaluates NHs, they should evaluate not only whether there is a wandering or walking space, but also whether it has forest healing factors such as forests. It is also necessary to create a barrier-free environment both inside and outside of NHs, increasing accessibility to the toilet in gardens, paving a passage for wheelchairs and lifts in forests near NHs. Through these efforts, it is expected that FWS will be activated to provide physical, mental rest and comfort, appropriate cognitive stimulation to the NH residents at the end of life.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.78-85
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• 2021

Objectives: When elderly patients show depressive symptoms, discrimination between depressive disorder and prodromal phase of Alzheimer's disease is important. We tested whether a quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) marker was associated with cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in older adults with depression. Methods: Non-demented older individuals (≥ 55years) diagnosed with depression were included in the analyses (n = 63; 76.2% female; mean age ± standard deviation 73.7 ± 6.87 years). The participants were divided into Aβ+ (n = 32) and Aβ- (n = 31) groups based on amyloid PET assessment. EEG was recorded during the 7min eye-closed (EC) phase and 3min eye-open (EO) phase, and all EEG data were analyzed using Fourier transform spectral analysis. We tested interaction effects among Aβ positivity, condition (EC vs. EO), laterality (left, midline, or right), and polarity (frontal, central, or posterior) for EEG alpha band power. Then, the EC-to-EO alpha reactivity index (ARI) was examined as a neurophysiological marker for predicting Aβ+ in depressed older adults. Results: The mean power spectral density of the alpha band in EO phase showed a significant difference between the Aβ+ and Aβ- groups (F = 6.258, p = 0.015). A significant 3-way interaction was observed among Aβ positivity, condition, and laterality on alpha-band power after adjusting for age, sex, educational years, global cognitive function, medication use, and white matter hyperintensities on MRI (F = 3.720, p = 0.030). However, post-hoc analyses showed no significant difference in ARI according to Aβ status in any regions of interest. Conclusion: Among older adults with depression, increased power in EO phase alpha band was associated with Aβ positivity. However, EC-to-EO ARI was not confirmed as a predictor for Aβ+ in depressed older individuals. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm our results.