• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2024

Stress is a natural state that emerges due to the dynamics of an individual's life. Children must learn how to effectively manage stress as part of their growth and development. Resolution is possible when children are exposed to stress and receive adequate support from their families. However, when stress is intense, frequent, protracted, or traumatic, as in cases of childhood abuse, it can become toxic and interfere with the development of the child's brain and body. This results in vulnerability, which can have detrimental effects on the child's overall physical, mental, and emotional health. This perspective discusses the impact of childhood maltreatment and toxic stress, drawing on insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to shed light on the lessons learned from this unique and challenging period and how they inform our understanding of the effects of stress on children's well-being.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.196-202
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effects of school-based short term mental health awareness and school bullying prevention programs. Methods : From April to December 2013, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Promotion team of Seoul National Hospital conducted school-based short term social skill training (N=56, 4 sessions), mental health awareness (N=84, 4 sessions) and school bullying prevention programs (N=171, 1 session) in elementary and junior high schools located in Seoul. The changes in the subjects before and after the program were assessed. Results : The social skills training program improved the 'helping' behaviors in boys (t=-2.355, p<.05) and 'sharing' (t=-3.223, p<.01), 'cooperation' (t=-2.235, p<.05), and 'comforting' (t=-2.830, p<.01) behaviors in girls, assessed using the Prosocial Behavior Questionnaire. The mental health awareness program improved 'general health awareness' (t=2.620, p<.05), measured using the Korean General Health Questionnaire. The school bullying prevention program resulted in decreased 'self esteem' (t=3.769, p<.01), measured using the Self Esteem Scale and decreased 'anger' (t=4.198, p<.01), assessed using the Novaco Anger Scale. Conclusion : The results of our preliminary analysis suggest that school-based mental health awareness and school bullying prevention programs may be effective even when conducted for a short term. Future investigation is necessary in order to validate the long term effects of these programs.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2005

Objectives : This study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of psychiatric consultation for children and adolescents in a general hospital. Methods : Hospital records of 302 children and adolescents who were referred for psychiatric consultation in a general hospital over 4 years were reviewed and analyzed. Results : The mean referral rate for psychiatric consultation for school age children and adolescents was $2.15\%$. While more girls were referred in middle and high school age group, more boys were referred in pre-school age group. Fifty percent of the consultation was requested from department of internal medicine and pediatrics. Main reason for requesting psychiatric consultation was fur the assessment of the patients from psychiatric point of view $(31.1\%)$, followed by the management of depression $(11.6\%)$ and anxiety $(11.3\%)$. Most frequently rendered psychiatric services for the treatment was psychosocial education and supportive therapy $(21.2\%)$. Conclusion : There are differences in clinical nature of psychiatric consultation and referral patterns between adult patients and child and adolescent patients. Future research is needed to strengthen the services for child and adolescent psychiatric consultation.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.118-124
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• 2018

Objectives Although impulsivity has long been thought as an important factor influencing suicidal behaviors, it is unknown whether impulsivity increases the risk of dying from suicidal behaviors and what specific component among constructs of impulsivity contributes to the risk of dying among suicide attempters. Methods To elucidate the association between impulsivity and medical lethality of suicide attempt among suicide attempters, we consecutively recruited 46 suicide attempters who visited an emergency room of a general hospital located in a metropolitan area, Seoul, Republic of Korea, due to suicide attempts and consented to participate in this study. Then we assessed medical lethality with the Beck Lethality Scale (LS) and impulsivity with the Korean version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11-Revised (BIS). Demographic variables were obtained from medical records and structured social work reports for suicide attempters. Results Although total scores of the BIS did not correlate with LS scores, only the scores of self-control, that is one of the Barrett's six theoretical constructs of impulsivity in which the higher score indicates less self-control and more impulsivity, had a significant positive correlation with scores of LS (p = 0.003). The association remained significant after adjusting for variables known to affect suicide lethality such as job status, recent alcohol consumption, diagnosis of depressive disorders, and having a plan for suicide (${\beta}=0.429$, p = 0.009). Conclusions Not impulsivity in general, but poor self-control, in particular, predicts lethal suicidal behaviors among suicide attempters. The degree of self-control should be evaluated when assessing patients with elevated suicide risk, and proper measures should be installed to prevent possible future lethal suicide attempts.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

Suicide, the fourth leading cause of death in Korea, is a serious national problem. The Korea National Suicide Survey (KNSS) is the result of the first legislation to address this issue, "Article 11 of THE ACT FOR THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AND THE CREATION OF A CULTURE OF RESPECT FOR LIFE" (the "Act for the Prevention of Suicide"). To overcome the limitations of previous studies, the KNSS was designed by collaborators from a variety of fields : psychology, epidemiology, social welfare, and psychiatry. The KNSS was composed of four substudies that addressed the multifaceted process involved in suicide-related behavior over time, exploring general attitudes toward suicide and suicidal ideation, suicide planning, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. Study 1 examined the risk factors for suicide based on data regarding completed suicides ; Study 2 adopted the approach of a psychological autopsy ; Study 3 focused on suicide attempters ; and Study 4 explored attitudes toward suicide in the general population. The KNSS was designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of suicide from a longitudinal, multifaceted perspective to serve as a basis for policies aimed at suicide prevention.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.80-91
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• 2022

Objective : Hospital workers' mental health has deteriorated because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of hospital workers and its determinants. Methods : Two surveys were conducted among employees working in a hospital that received COVID-19 patients from the early phase of the pandemic in South Korea. Data on demographics, perceived threat, workplace evaluation, resilience, and mental health status were collected using the Korean General Health Questionnaire-20 in the initial phase (February 2020) and during the third wave of COVID-19 (December 2020) for 467 and 545 workers, respectively. The mental health of hospital workers in the two phases was compared, and the risk and protective factors during the third wave were investigated. Results : The proportion of patients in the psychiatric high-risk group increased from 2.8% in the initial phase to 11.4% during the third wave. The perceived threat, workplace evaluation, and resilience of respondents deteriorated. Risk factors for mental health during the third wave included the perceived threat items of job stress, loss of control, and considering resignation. Protective factors included presence of children, workplace satisfaction, and hardiness in resilience. Conclusion : Hospital workers' mental health deteriorated as the pandemic progressed. General stress and tension such as job stress, loss of control, considering resignation rather than COVID-19-specific stress had negative effects on mental health of hospital workers. Therefore, care for work stress itself can be helpful to maintain the mental health of hospital workers. Also, governance to improve workplace satisfaction or hardiness in resilience can be a potential protective factor for hospital workers' mental health during the prolonged pandemic.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.31-39
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• 2013

The geriatric patients with chronic physical diseases are frequently associated with the continuous clusters of depression including nonpathological sadness, subsyndromal depression, minor depressive disorder, and major depressive disorder. Because of the complex and reciprocal relationships among depression, elderly, and chronic physical diseases, screening approaches with specific nosological methods should be needed in the realm of early detection of depression. Cognitive decline is frequently manifested in geriatric depression with medical or neurological diseases. Also, somatic symptoms of depression or emotional symptoms of physical diseases can play a role as a hampering factor in the early detection of depression. Furthermore, after-care has been regarded as an essential factor of depression screening in the geriatric patients with chronic physical diseases. We reviewed the most popular examples of integrated medicine for depression in primary care. Thus, we propose a general hospital-based model for early detection of depression which includes favorable response loop between screening and therapeutic intervention. Our model can be a basis for evidence-based detection and after-care for depression in the geriatric patients with chronic medical diseases.

• Mood & Emotion
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.152-157
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial factors influencing suicidal ideation of community dwelling elderly, using the senior community center in Jeonnam Province. Methods : A total of 2,202 subjects (369 males, 1,833 females) were recruited. We evaluated sociodemographic factors, using a self-reporting questionnaire. Subjects completed the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form Korean Version (SGDS), Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Korean version of the General Health Questionale-12 (GHQ-12) and Satisfaction with Life scale (SWLS), to assess psychosocial factors affecting suicidal ideation. Results : Among 2,202 subjects, 179 (8.1%) reported recent suicidal ideation. Self-perceptive health status (p<0.001) and physical disease (p=0.002) revealed differences between two groups. The scores of four scales in the suicidal group were significantly different from the control group: SGDS (p<0.001) and GHQ-12 (p<0.001) were higher, while MSPSS (p<0.001) and SWLS (p<0.001) were lower, in the suicidal ideation group than the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that physical disease (OR 2.575, 95%CI 1.022-6.492), SGDS (OR 1.181, 95%CI 1.120-1.246) and GHQ-12 (OR 1.192, 95%CI 1.108-1.283), were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Conclusion : Findings support that physical disease, depression, and general mental health may correlate to suicidal ideation in the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.211-218
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• 2012

Objectives Body image distortion is found in eating disorder and obesity and there are some evidence that schizophrenia is associated with body image distortion. This study sought to find whether schizophrenic patients report more body image distortion than healthy individuals and whether it is related with symptomatology. Methods A total of 88 inpatients with schizophrenia and 88 healthy controls were recruited. Weight, height, and body image accuracy were assessed in all participants, and assessment of mood, psychotic symptom severity and self-esteem, and personal and social performance scale were conducted. Results The patients with schizophrenia had higher Body Mass Index (p < 0. 001) and underestimated their body size more than controls (26.14% vs. 5.13%, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that lower depressive symptoms and higher scores of general psychopathology predicted underestimation of body size. Conclusion Weight gain and metabolic syndrome are common adverse events of pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. Thus, underestimation of body size among patients with schizophrenia may interfere with effort to lose weight or seek weight reduction programs. Clinicians need to consider possible unterestimation of underestimation of body size in patients whose general symptomatology is severe.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2022

Objective : The levels of resilience and gratitude were examined in psychiatric patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders and compared to those of the general population. In addition, we analyzed the associations of positive affect, negative affect, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and gratitude on resilience in this patient population. Methods : The participants included a general population sample (n=155) and psychiatric outpatients with depression and/or anxiety disorders (n=108). All participants completed self-report questionnaires, which included demographic variables, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form (GQ-6), the Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results : The CD-RISC and GQ-6 scores of patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders were significantly lower than those of the general population. In the patient population, hierarchical regression analysis showed that gratitude was significantly associated with resilience while controlling for a range of demographic and clinical variables. Conclusion : Patients with depression and/or anxiety disorder generally had lower resilience and gratitude. Moreover, our findings showed that gratitude could influence the levels of resilience in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders.