• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.33-48
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to find the strategies of mental health screening in school. Based on the literature review, we discuss the importance of screening students in schools for mental health problems. Methods: Data from the 2008 Korean Mental Health Screening in Schools(2008-KMHSS) are used to estimate the outline of this screening. We administered the questionnaire for satisfaction of 2008-KMHSS for students(N=1,280), parents(N=2,672), school nurses(N=75), teachers(N=685), district personnels(N=6), and mental health center staffs(N=37). Also we interviewed a part of them by telephone and e-mail. And we reviewed the tools and methods for screening students for emotional/behavioral problems. Results: Mental health screening in schools is a very important, yet worrisome, agenda that is in its very early stages. From the 2008 Korean Mental Health Screening in Schools, 9,588 students(12.9%) needed more evaluation in the first stage. Of these, 6,910(72.1%) completed the second stage screening. In this sample, 1,975(28.6%) utilized the mental health services in school or community. 38.3% of students and 43.7% of their parents notified the 2008-KMHSS. But only 12.1% of students and 10.9% of their parents dissatisfied with the screening. 9.9% of teachers and 22.7% of school nurses dissatisfied with the screening. Among them the school nurses were mostly dissatisfied, and they complained work burden from KMHSS. Mental health center staffs complained similar issues. The Children's Problem-behavior Screening Questionnaire(CPSQ) and Adolescents' Mental-health & Problem-behavior Screening Questionnaire(AMPQ) were compatible to screen students in schools for mental health problems in first stage. Conclusion: Mental health screening in schools needs careful planning and implementation. For successful mental health screening in schools, several elements need to be considered: careful planning, collaboration, staff training, and integrative mental health programs and services in community or schools.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2017

Objective : A pilot project entitled '50s mental health screening project' was conducted in Seoul. As a part of this project, we conducted surveys to obtain the opinions of psychiatrists regarding mental health screenings. Methods : A questionnaire was mailed to members registered with the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, which enquired about the '50s mental health screening project'. Results: A majority (90.9%) of the subjects agreed on the purpose and implementation of the project. However, there were fewer individuals that actually showed the intent to participate (65.8%). The mean age of the group with the intention to participate was higher compared to the group with no intention to participate. The factors that negatively affected the intent to participate included prejudice and discrimination against psychiatry (3.795), low health insurance reimbursement (3.784), and inconvenience of reporting to public health centers (3.664). The most appropriate method that scored the highest for screening mental health was face-to-face consultation with a psychiatrist (3.889). Most of the participants agreed on the method of a self-reported survey along with an interview of psychiatrist (84.9%). Conclusion : Subjects were concerned about prejudice and discrimination against psychiatry, low health insurance reimbursement, and inconvenience of reporting to public health centers. These problems need to be supplemented. Face-to-face consultation with a psychiatrist may be considered an appropriate method for future mental health screening.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.129-139
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• 2009

Objectives : This study evaluated the effectiveness of school-based mental health screening and treatment linkage programs, focusing on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and adolescent depression. Methods : All 11,158 children and adolescents aged 8-14 years in Seoul received a school-based mental health screening, consisting of the Korean versions of the ADHD rating scale and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), for ADHD, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-DS) and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior (SIQ-JR), for depression. The high-risk children's and adolescents' diagnoses were confirmed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV (DISC-IV). Treatment linkage programs were managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Community Mental Health Center (Program 1), the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (Program 2), or the Dongjak District Office of Education (Program 3). We estimated and compared the referral rates of the three programs. Results : Program 1 screened and referred 22.9% of ADHD youths to mental health services, Program 2, 68.8%, and Program 3, 40.0%. Program 1 screened and referred 22.8% of depressed youths to mental health services, Program 2, 53.8%, and Program 3, 88.9%. Key elements for successful screening and referral programs were an effective school/community mental health center/Office of Education network, the parents' financial support and perception of their child's mental health status as being problematic, and the teachers' active engagement. Conclusion : This is the first study investigating the effectiveness of school-based mental health screenings' linkage to treatment for primary and middle school students in Korea. An effective network for community mental health and improvements in parents' and teachers' perceptions regarding mental health are needed for more successful treatment linkage.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.207-218
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate parents' perceptions and attitudes regarding a screening test for and subsequent management of students' emotional and behavioral problems. Methods: A descriptive research design was used, and included disproportional stratified and cluster random sampling. The sample comprised 223 parents of elementary, middle, and high school students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, and ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: Overall, parents responded that they knew of the goals, types, and tools of screening tests for students' emotional and behavioral problems. In total, 64.6% of parents reported having information for the screening test in advance. Only 13.5%(n=30) of students had emotional and behavioral problems in the last year. Among these students, 56.7%(n=17) were referred to mental health facilities but only 29.4%(n=5) of them received ongoing management from these facilities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that parents should receive information about the screening test for and subsequent management of students' emotional and behavioral problems. Health professionals need to build strategies to provide ongoing management for students who have emotional and behavioral problems.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.235-243
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• 2017

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of the children of psychiatric patients in order to plan for the resources that may be necessary to help these children achieve their full potential. Methods: Forty-eight children (age 9-18) whose parents were registered in 5 community mental health centers located in Seoul were recruited. Tests assessing 3 psychological domains were conducted: 1) cognition: Korean version of Learning Disability Evaluation Scale, Comprehensive Attention Test, 2) parent reported emotion and behavior: Korean Child Behavior Checklist, Korean attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Rating Scale, and 3) self-reported emotion and behavior: Korean Beck's Depression Inventory-II/Children's Depression Inventory-II, Korean Youth Self Report). We defined the children as having a high risk of developing mental health problems if their test scores were over the cut-off levels in 2 or more of the 3 domains assessed. Results: Twelve (25%) children were classified as having a high risk of developing mental health issues. 20 (41.6%) children scored above the cut-off in only one of the domains. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the children of psychiatric patients might be vulnerable to mental illness and need early prevention or interven-tions for the sake of their mental health.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.271-286
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• 2011

Objectives : The purposes of this study were to develop a mental health screening questionnaire and the practical intervention programs or guidelines which can be used in middle and high schools by students and teachers. Methods : The Adolescent Mental health & Problem behavior Screening Questionnaire II (AMPQ-II) was developed and was tested for reliability and validity using nationwide data from 2,180 middle and high school students and 2,145 teachers. Results : The AMPQ-II was measured by both students and teachers. The correlation coefficient of the test-retest test was 0.567 and internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha=0.878). Five factors such as worry and thought, mood and suicide, academic and Internet-related problems, peer problems, and rule violations were proposed. We also developed a practical guideline and manuals which can be easily used by secondary school teachers to screen for and manage mental health problems at school. Conclusion : The AMPQ-II can be a useful and reliable tool to screen for mental health problems in middle and high schools in South Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.459-464
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• 2013

Improving mental health and reducing the burden of mental illness are complementary strategies which, along with the treatment and rehabilitation of people with mental disorders, significantly improve population health and well-being. A Institute of Medicine report describes a range of interventions for mental disorders that included treatment and maintenance, reserving the term "prevention" for efforts that occur before onset of a diagnosable disorder. Mental health problems affect 10-20% of children and adolescents worldwide. Despite their relevance as a leading cause of health-related disability and their long lasting consequences, the mental health needs of children and adolescents are neglected. Early intervention can help reduce the significant impacts that children and adolescents with serious mental health problems may experience. Screening is the first step in early intervention, recognizing emotional and behavioral problems and providing help at an early stage. It is essential to implement early intervention in a sensitive and ethical manner to avoid any of the negative outcomes.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.161-167
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• 2010

Objectives: In assessing behavioral/emotional problems in school-aged children, the importance of multi-informant reporting has been well documented. However, in clinical settings obtaining multiple informants' opinions has proven difficult. For that reason, we researched the agreement and predictive validity of the Child Problem-Behavior Screening Questionnaire (CPSQ) in order to reveal how accurate parents' assessments reflected teachers'opinions. Methods: We conducted the first screening for second- and third-grade children from 3 elementary schools in Seoul from 2003 to 2007 using the CPSQ. There were 1178 children included in the analysis. We then administered the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) as a second screening tool and subsequently, the ADHD Diagnostic System (ADS) and the Korean Educational Development Institute version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (KEDI-WISC) was administered by a psychiatrist. We examined each item on the CPSQ and the subscale's agreement between parent and teacher as well as the predictive validity of the CPSQ in children diagnosed with emotional/behavioral problems. Results: The agreement rates between parents and teachers appeared high for questions 18 (0.433), 1 (0.385), and 2 (0.325). Among the subscales, a relatively high correlation was found for externalizing problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and cognitive problems. For all diagnosed children, their parents revealed a higher sensitivity and lower specificity than teachers. Conclusion: From these results, we confirmed that the CPSQ can be useful for sorting out externalizing and cognitive problems. There is a need for further study, however, with a larger sample size.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.53-59
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• 2017

Reliable and valid diagnostic screening tools in the primary care setting enable accurate estimation of depression in individuals at risk or in need of treatment, and provide patients with an opportunity to receive optimal treatments. Although there have been extensive studies on screening tools for depression used in domestic mental health settings, there is little consideration and lack of a thorough review of the diagnostic validity of screening tools. In the current review, we selected 13 representative screening tools for depression which were evaluated in a total of 19 validation studies conducted in Korea. We summarized DSM-5 target domains, diagnostic indices, sensitivity, specificity, cut-off scores, and diagnostic validity information for each tool. Finally, the depression measurement expert group was constituted to evaluate the current status of screening tools for depression, and their recommendations for a new screening tool were summarized. This study was conducted as part of the Mental Health Technology Development project to develop the Korean screening tool for depression (K-DEP).

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.347-358
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• 2017

Background: The recent revision of South Korea's Mental Health Law emphasizes the role of the Mental Health Review Board. For this study, we examined the current status of continuing hospitalization judgement in Mental Health Review Board at the national level and aimed to determine the directions of improvement. Methods: Using a qualitative case study as the research method, we interviewed 30 Mental Health Review Board members and analyzed the results. Results: Each municipality had very different continuing hospitalization judgement methods. In our systematic review, which consisted of document inspection, we identified reliability problems due to limitations in Mental Health Review Board's operating systems, discharge orders, etc. Additionally, continuing hospitalization judgement needs to improve the objectivity, fairness, and effectiveness of their screening examinations. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest policy proposals to improve these systems, such as standardizing examination processes, strengthening on-site inspections, increasing the independence and neutrality of judgment in Mental Health Review Board, building community mental health infrastructures, and establishing integrated management systems.