• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.19-27
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to assess mental health and quality of life (QOL) including factors influencing QOL among early North Korean defectors in South Korea. Participants were 151 early North Korean defectors residing in a settlement support center. All measures were self-administered. Unlike refugees living in communities, early defectors did not experience a high rate of mental health problems and reported a good QOL. Psychoticism was the most predictive factor affecting QOL. Findings from this study suggest the importance of mental health assessment and support over time. Psychoticism, significant in explaining QOL of early North Korean defectors, needs early diagnosis and treatment to prevent progression. Mental health issues among refugees may not be evident while they are in a structured, supportive environment. Evaluation and treatment are needed over time.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.203-214
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop an international web-based expert system using principals of artificial intelligence and user-centered design for management of mental health by Korean emigrants. Using this system, anyone can access the system via computer access to the web. Methods: Our design process utilized principles of user-centered design with 4 phases: needs assessment, analysis, design/development/testing, and application release. A survey was done with 3,235 Korean emigrants. Focus group interviews were also conducted. Survey and analysis results guided the design of the web-based expert system. Results: With this system, anyone can check their mental health status by themselves using a personal computer. The system analyzes facts based on answers to automated questions, and suggests solutions accordingly. A history tracking mechanism enables monitoring and future analysis. In addition, this system will include intervention programs to promote mental health status. Conclusion: This system is interactive and accessible to anyone in the world. It is expected that this management system will contribute to Korean emigrants' mental health promotion and allow researchers and professionals to share information on mental health.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between test anxiety, self-esteem and mental health. Method: Data were collected by structured questionnaires from 306 nursing students in a dormitory for the national examination for registered nurses. Collected data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, scheffe's test and Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchial multiple regression through the SPSS WIN program. Result: The results of the analysis showed that the mean for test anxiety was $79.70{\pm}18.74$ points, the degree of self-esteem was $28.26{\pm}5.02$, and mental health was $24.31{\pm}13.07$. In the correlation analysis, mental health positively correlated with test anxiety (r=.559, p=.000) and negatively correlated with self-esteem (r=-.141, p=.013). Test anxiety and subjective health status explained 36.4% of mental health. Conclusion: This finding of this study recommends that test anxiety control and self-esteem enhancement programs should be development for mental health promotion in nursing students taking the national examination for registered nurses.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.35-56
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• 2000

This study is research on physical health and mental health(physical and mental symptom at school) in perceived school environment among adolescents. The study subjects ere selected by senior high school students in seoul and random sampling. The 3,060 subjects were selected 18 schools. The duration for survey was for Nov. 25-Dec. 13, 1998. The reliability of Questionnaire was Cronbach's $\alpha=0.95$. This study used multiple regression through Factor Analysis in SPSS programs. The major findings of this study are as follows: (1) All of Multiple Regression Models were significant. (p<0.001). (2) Physical Mental health is related to gender, personal environment, and economic status. (3) Physical Health is related to perceived school environmental variable (therapeutic teacher-student relationships, classrom climate, and school life satisfaction) among adolescents. (4) Mental Health is related to perceived school environment variables(therapeutic teacher-student relationships, classroom climate, school life satisfaction, teachers' climate, and classmates' attitudes) among adolescents. This study could be used as the basis for the development of educational program, counseling, teacher in-service training, student teacher training and the establishment of educational and health policy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 2016

Objectives: The suicide rate in Korea is increasing every year, and is the highest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Psychiatric patients in particular have a higher risk of suicide than other patients. This study was performed to evaluate determinants of mental health care utilization among individuals at high risk for suicide. Methods: Korea Health Panel data from 2009 to 2011 were used. Subjects were individuals at high risk of suicide who had suicidal ideation, a past history of psychiatric illness, or had utilized outpatient services for a psychiatric disorder associated with suicidal ideation within the past year. The chi-square test and hierarchical logistic regression were used to identify significant determinants of mental health care utilization. Results: The total number of subjects with complete data on the variables in our model was 989. Individuals suffering from three or more chronic diseases used mental health care more frequently. Mental health care utilization was higher in subjects who had middle or high levels of educational attainment, were receiving Medical Aid, or had a large family size. Conclusions: It is important to control risk factors in high-risk groups as part of suicide prevention strategies. The clinical approach, which includes community-based intervention, entails the management of reduction of suicidal risk. Our study identified demographic characteristics that have a significant impact on mental health care utilization and should be considered in the development of suicide prevention strategies. Further studies should examine the effect of mental health care utilization on reducing suicidal ideation.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.315-323
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• 2017

Background: This study was purposed to analyze the effect of spatial accessibility to the psychiatry department in general hospital on the outpatient visit of mental patients. Methods: Data was provided from the Statistics Korea and Statistical Geographic Information Service, National Health Insurance Service, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, and Korea Transport Institute in 2015. The study regions were 103 administrative regions such as Si and Gu. The 103 regions had at least one general hospitals with a psychiatry department. The number of outpatient visit of mental patients in regions was used as the dependent variable. Spatial accessibility to mental general hospital was used as the independent variable. Control variables included such as demographic, economic, and health medical factors. This study used network analysis and multi-variate regression analysis. Network analysis by ArcGIS ver. 10.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA) was used to evaluate the average travel time and travel distance in Korea. Multi-variate regression analysis was conducted by SAS ver. 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Results: Travel distance and time had significant effects on the number of outpatient visits in mental patients in general hospital. Average travel time and travel distance had negative effects on the number of visits. Variables such as (number of total population, percentage of aged population over 65, and number of mental general hospital) had significant effects on the number of visit in mental patients. Conclusion: Health policy makers will need to consider the spatial accessibility to the mental healthcare organization in conducting regional health planning.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.3866-3875
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of mental health among nursing students in Korea and identify factors influencing the tendency to mental health. A self-report survey was conducted with South Korean nursing students who were from 19 to 23 years old. 269 nursing students were included in the study. The instruments utilized in the study were Symptom Checklist-90-Revision, Stress and multidimensional coping. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and Simultaneous multiple regression with SPSS WIN 20.0. The average mental health score of the participants was 0.57. Significant predictors for mental health 'College-level stress', 'Self-criticism', 'Passive withdrawal', 'Nursing satisfaction' and 'Health state'. The study findings suggest that nursing students require special concern regarding the risk of mental health. Multi and interdisciplinary mental health promotion program will enhance the mental health of nursing students.

• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.1019-1029
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• 2018

Objective We investigated how mental health awareness among North Korean refugees transformed depending on temporal-spatial context changes. Methods In 2013, we conducted interviews with 10 refugees (eight women) who had been in South Korea for over a year and performed a qualitative analysis of the change in mental health awareness in the differences between living in North Korea, escape (a related period of forced sojourn in a third country), and settlement in South Korea. Results We classified 39 concepts into five main categories. The first two categories (while living in North Korea) were "a mindset for the system, but not for individual mental health" and "being confined in a social environment that was indifferent to mental health." A third category appeared during escape: "focusing on survival amid continuity of intense suffering." The final two categories appeared when settling in South Korea: "recognition of mental health amid cultural shock" and "introspection and sorting oneself out." Conclusion This qualitative study enabled a better multi-dimensional understanding of the social and cultural aspects involved in improving mental health awareness among North Korean refugees in South Korea. It is desirable to integrate mental health as a part of daily life and to expand training for North Korean settlers.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.789-802
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to present implications for effective operation of domestic school-based mental health services by comparing those in Singapore the United States, Australia. Based on reviewing the public data and previous article, researchers conducted a comparative study on the background, history, goal, and managing process of overseas and domestic organizations. The result of comparison in overseas cases suggests that the foundation of school-based mental health project was laid with the national health plan and detailed frame work for implementation. It was also discussed that domestic school-based mental health project is still in introduction stage, while foreign services were delivered efficiently through the leading agency and the cooperation between government ministries and institutions were active. It suggests that cooperation between government ministries, preparation of an effective operating system, and various approaches for students, guardians and teachers are need for domestic school-based mental health project.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and health in dental hygiene students. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 216 dental hygiene students in Daegu from June 9 to 13, 2014. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA using SAS 9.2 program. The instruments included Korean internet addiction scale(K scale) and Korean version of the general health questionnaire. General characteristics consisted of grade, religion, residential types, economic condition, place of internet use, duration, purpose, and time of use. Physical characteristics consisted of subjective physical condition, smoking, alcohol drinking, exercise above twice per week, musculoskeletal disease, and location of physical symptoms. Psychiatric scale and 6 questions of physical characteristics were consulted by the statistician of preventive medicine department. Results: Internet users over 4 hours manifested the poor mental health, while those who uses internet under 2 hours showed good mental health(F = 1.41, p < 0.01). The students having good physical condition showed better mental health than those with poor physical condition(t = -2.81, p < 0.01). The students exercising at least twice a week showed better mental health than those who do not exercise(t = -3.10, p < 0.01). Those who having musculoskeletal symptoms showed higher index of internet addiction score than those who do not(t = 4.21, p < 0.01). Those who have no musculoskeletal symptoms tended to have better mental health than those who have musculoskeletal symptoms(t = 2.28, p < 0.05). The variables correlated to mental health were internet addiction, subjective physical condition, and exercise at least twice a week. The severity level of internet addiction leads to poor mental health(r = 0.26, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Internet addiction is closely related to mental health. So the students must know the danger of internet addiction. Proper health education is necessary for the prevention of addiction symptoms.