• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.237-247
• /
• 2016

Global climate change is becoming one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. This article proposes a psychological perspective of climate change adaptation. Climate change-related severe adverse weather events may trigger mental health problems, including increased post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, violence, and even suicide. Forced migration could be considered a coping method for dealing with weather events, but it may also pose a psychological threat. People respond to severe weather events in different ways based on their individual characteristics. Psychological risks from adverse weather events are mediated and moderated by these factors, which are influenced by personal cognition, affect, and motivation. Examinations from a psychological perspective, which have been neglected in the science of climate change thus far, may provide keys to successful adaptation and the prevention of serious psychological problems resulting from the experience of severe weather events. A new prevention strategy has been suggested for coping with climate threats through encouraging attitude change, establishing proactive support systems for vulnerable groups, establishing a PTSD network, and implementing a stress inoculation program.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.328-339
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the mental health status of Korean adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and to verify the predictors and mediating effects of avoidance coping on the relationship between the intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety and the intolerance of uncertainty and depression. Methods: An online survey was completed by 191 Korean adults from 19 to 64 years old. Using the IBM SPSS Win 19.0 program, the data were analyzed through the frequency, mean, t-test or analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis and Sobel test. Results: Of the survey respondents 21.5%, and 33.5% respectively were classified into anxiety and depression risk groups. The predictors of anxiety were intolerance of uncertainty (β=.52), avoidance coping (β=.21), and response efficacy (β=-.15). Those variables explained 47.7% of the respondents' anxiety. The predictors of depression were intolerance of uncertainty (β=.40), avoidance coping (β=.20), and response-efficacy (β=-.12). These variables explained 34.9% of the participants' depression. Among the predictors of anxiety and depression, avoidance coping was the significant mediating variable. Conclusion: The predictors of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic were revealed to be intolerance of uncertainty, avoidance coping, and response-efficacy. These results indicate the necessity of providing the cognitive interventions and reducing the use of avoidance coping strategies on a personal level. Community-level efforts, including early detection and health communication strategies, should prioritize risk groups for example young adults. The study suggests it will be necessary to provide sufficient information, psychological support and economic policy alternatives related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the national level.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.10 no.8
• /
• pp.392-397
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of self management and mental power on athletic performance. To attain the goal of the study some athletics of D city physical education middle school, high school, University in D city. Then, using the physical education middle and high school were complete collection, and University were random sampling method, finally drew out and analyzed 353 athletics in total. Data collected through a questionnaire designed for this study consist of fixed alternative choice response to items constructed to represent the operational definition for each variable. Statistics employed for data analysis was correlation and regression. Based upon the results of the study, the following conclusions appear warranted: 1. Self management influence on athletic performance. 2. Mental power influence on athletic performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
• /
• 1999.11a
• /
• pp.216-221
• /
• 1999

A mental task combined with noise background is an effective model of laboratory stress for study of psychophysiology of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The intensity of the background noise significantly affects both a subjective evaluation of experienced stress level during test and the physiological responses associated with mental load in noisy environments. Providing tests of similar difficulties we manipulated the background noise intensity as a main factor influencing a psychophysiological outcome and the analyzed reactivity along withe the noise intensity dimension. The goal of this study was to identify the patterns of ANS responses and the relevant subjective stress scores during performance of word recognition tasks on the background of white noise (WN) of the different intensities (55, 70 and 85 dB). Subjects were 27 college students (19-24 years old). BIOPAC, Grass Neurodata System and AcqKnowlwdge 3.5 software were used to record ECG, PPG, SCL, skin temperature, and respiration. Experimental manipulations were effective in producing subjective and physiological responses usually associated with stress. The results suggested that the following potential autonomic mechanisms might be involved in the mediation of the observed physiological responses: A sympathetic activation with parasympathetic withdrawal during mild 55 and 70dB noise (featured by similar profiles) and simultaneous activation of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems during intense 85dB WN. The parasympathetic activation in this case might be a compensatory effect directed to prevent sympathetic domination and to maintain optimal arousal state for the successful performance on mental stress task. It should be mentioned that obtained results partially support Gellhorn's (1960; 1970) "tuning phenomenon" as a possible mechanism underlying stress response.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.22 no.4 s.28
• /
• pp.518-527
• /
• 1989

The relationship between copper content in scalp hair and mental retardation was investigated. Samples of scalp hair were collected from 297 mentally retarded children who were students in one of two schools providing special educational services, one, consisted of children living in an orphan home, the other, children living with parents. For comparison, 117 scalp hair samples were collected from the children who had got average or above average academic achivement in a regular elementary school. Hair samples were taken from the nape of the neck and the copper content was determined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (IL 551). There was no statistically significant difference in scalp copper levels across different age groups except female orphan group, but no trend or correlation between copper conents and age was found. The hair copper contents of the mentally retarded children groups were significantly lower than that of control groups. But there was no dose-response relationship between degree of mental retardation and hair copper level. The hair copper contents of the group accompanied by Down's syndrome and unknown group were significantly lower than that of control group in both sex, and in the case of accompanied by epilepsy or autism, lower than control group in male. Although the results of this study show no evidence that mental retardation has owed to copper deficiency, the possibility of copper deficiciency in their fetal or infant age could not be ruled out. Thus further study is needed to determine whether mental retardation could be attributed to copper deficiency, through the examinations about their living environments, dietary pattern, eating habit and the impact of copper deficiency on brain development.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.42-57
• /
• 2020

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is indicated for various mental disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder) and the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in elderly patients. Furthermore, ECT is a useful first-line treatment in emergency and crisis situations such as suicide risk, violent behavior, catatonia, and food refusal, which are more frequent in elderly patients. ECT is also effective in the treatment of the motor symptoms of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Due to the high risk of various physical diseases, the comorbid physical conditions of elderly patients should be individually controlled to optimize ECT treatment. Compared to young adults, in elderly patients the seizure threshold is higher, the seizure duration is shorter, and the anesthetic dose is lower. On the contrary, the response rate in the elderly is both faster and higher. Considering potential cognitive decline and the prevention of further deterioration of cognitive function in elderly patients, in the absence of significant comorbidities, twice weekly sessions and right unilateral electrode placement with a lower seizure threshold and less cognitive effect are preferred to bilateral electrode placement, which has a high risk of adverse cognitive effects. After an acute course of ECT, continuation and maintenance of ECT, combined with prescription of therapeutic drugs, may prevent possible relapse or recurrence of mental disorders. In conclusion, ECT can be used to treat mental disorders in elderly adults, with safety and effectiveness comparable to that in young adults.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.84-93
• /
• 2020

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the chronotype and the burnout, so we investigated the mediating effects of the mediators such as perceived stress, stress response, and depression. Methods Employees working at Incheon Customs conducted a mental health self-examination through the internet. Among them, 174 people who agreed to the mental health survey participated in the study. Participants completed questionnaires including Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Stress Response Inventory (SRI), Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS). Results Our results showed a higher degree of CES-D, SRI, exhaustion, and cynicism in evening and intermediate type compared to morning type, and a higher degree of professional efficacy in morning type compared to intermediate type. CSM was shown to have a direct effect on exhaustion and indirect effect through CES-D and SRI. CSM also had a direct effect on professional efficacy and had an indirect effect through the CES-D. However, CSM was found to have only indirect effects through the SRI for Cynicism. Conclusions In this study, individuals with evening type tend to experience a high degree of burnout (exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy) through the mediation effect of depression and stress response. Further study is necessary to reveal the effect of management of the depression and stress response in the employee with evening type.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.178-187
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how college students' perceived stress, cognitive stress, and somatization affect their heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey research on 191 university students, registered at the G University. The perceived stress scale (PSS) and cognitive stress response scale, were used to assess level of stress. The somatization symptom scale of the Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90), was used to assess level of somatization caused by stress. To assess heart rate variability (HRV), we conducted a five-minute test using a pulse wave analyzer, to analyze short-term HRV. Results: The SCL-90 somatization score had relatively high positive correlation (p< .001) with cognitive stress, but low positive correlation (p< .001) with perceived stress. Cognitive stress response had low negative correlation (p< .001) with 1nSDNN and 1nRMSSD among HRV parameters. Perceived stress was not correlated with HRV. Multiple regression analysis showed that variables of perceived stress, cognitive stress, and somatization symptoms, could not explain HRV. By contrast, one of the HRV indicators, 1nSDNN, was affected by age, gender, and aggressive-hostile thought, the latter being a subscale of the cognitive stress response scale. Conclusion: This study suggests that stress evaluation for people in early adulthood will be more effective, if the evaluation examines cognitive stress and heart rate variability.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.578-592
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of public officials working for the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) response in community health centers in South Korea. Methods: A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using data collected from three focus groups and two individual interviews. Results: The participants performed quarantine tasks in a poor working environment with several problems, such as significant workload, lack of manpower, and inappropriate compensation system. Participants experienced obstacles in performing quarantine works, which had the lack of the detailed quarantine guidelines, work support and cooperation system. Participants suffered from civil complaints. Participants endured sacrifices in their personal lives while partaking in COVID-19 response work without holidays, and subsequently experienced health problems. And also participants said that it was necessary to secure expertise and effective communication for infectious disease management. Conclusion: The study results suggest that policies are required that are aimed to improve the working environment and the recruitment of experts in infectious diseases. In addition, the job stress related to the COVID-19 response by public officials in community health centers must be evaluated, and the relation of their job stress to physical and mental problems, as well as psychosocial stress, must be examined.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.23-80
• /
• 2018

Since the 1960s, the United States' (U.S.) deinstitutionalization policy has reinstated people with mental illness into communities. Unfortunately, when untreated, some people with psychiatric disorders become homeless, and some commit serious crimes during a psychological crisis. Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), also known as Kendra's Law in New York and Laura's Law in California, provides treatment, services and support to people with mental illness in the community. AOT has repeatedly been found effective and is recognized as an evidence-based practice. The response to the mental health crisis (crisis intervention) in the U.S. has also been successful in preventing worsening mental illness and related criminality and other issues. This paper provides an opportunity to create a platform from which to learn how to successfully apply the AOT and crisis intervention of the U.S. to South Korea within the cultural and societal context when establishing social services for people with mental illness in South Korea's communities.