• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.325-351
• /
• 2019

The present study examined patterns of co-occurrence between DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) symptoms and posttraumatic growth(PTG) among Korean populations(n= 860). Latent profile analysis was used to identify subclasses and suggested that the 3-class model fit best: (1) Low PTSD/Mild PTG group (2) Low PTSD/High PTG group; (3) High PTSD/High PTG group. Class membership was predicted by demographic variables, social isolation, and frequency of traumatic experiences. Classes also differed with respect to self-destructive behaviors(binge eating, non-suicidal self-injury, and problem drinking). These findings contribute to future research about the coexisting patterns of PTSD and PTG, and to identify high-risk individuals who suffer from trauma-related problems in clinical practice.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.94-100
• /
• 2019

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in anxiety and depression symptoms, comorbidity according to the patterns of temperament and character in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods : The temperament and character inventory (TCI), beck depression inventory (BDI) and beck anxiety inventory (BAI) were administered to 151 PTSD patients classified into four groups of adaptation, vulnerable temperament, immature personality and composite vulnerability according to the results of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). MANOVA and Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze differences in BDI, BAI, temperament and character scores and rate of comorbid disorders between the four groups. Results : The immature character and complex vulnerability group showed the higher rate of comorbid depression disorder. Anxiety and depression severity were significantly different among groups, especially depression severity had higher scores in the immature character and complex vulnerability groups and anxiety severity had higher scores in the complex vulnerability group than adaptive group. The immature character and complex vulnerability groups showed significantly lower score on the temperament scale of reward dependence and persistent. Conclusion : The results demonstrate the significance of adaptive characteristics on anxiety and depression symptoms regardless of vulnerable temperaments, and its consequent role in the management of character factors relative to intervention regarding PTSD.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.131-139
• /
• 2001

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of PTSD on memory function and hippocampal volume, and to identify major variables correlated to hippocampal volume and memory function. Thirty four Vietnam veterans were collected for this study, among whom eighteen were PTSD patients and sixteen were combat control subjects. The author used Impact of Event Scale(IES), Combat Exposure Scale(CES), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HDRS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Korea Memory Assessment Scale(K-MAS) was assessed for memory function. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) was used to measure hippocampal volume. There were significant differences between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans in IES, HDRS and BDI. Significant difference was found in verbal memory and total memory of K-MAS between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans. There was significant difference in hippocampal volume between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans. Short term memory, verbal memory and total memory were positively correlated to hippocampal volume. Hippocampal volume was negatively correlated to IES, HDRS, and BDI. These results suggest that PTSD severity be associated with hippocampal atrophy and memory dysfunction. Reduced or smaller hippocampal volume may be preexisting risk factor for stress exposure or the development of PTSD on combat exposure.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 2010

Objectives : Indirect contact with trauma may occur when a person empathically listens to detailed descriptions, exposing the person to intense emotional pain from trauma victims. Although less severe than direct trauma, indirectly traumatized persons may experience the same fear, rage, and despair as direct trauma victims. This phenomenon has been variously termed vicarious trauma, traumatic countertransference, burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress. Using a psychiatric symptoms questionnaires, this study investigated the effects of indirect exposure to co-worker's trauma on the mental health of firefighters who had not directly experienced traumatic events in the previous year. Methods : We administered self-report questionnaires, such as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IESR) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), to firefighters working at two fire stations in a metropolitan city. We analyzed 188 of 232 collected surveys, after excluding falsely entered data (28 cases) and questionnaires by directly-traumatized victims (16 cases). Results : Alcohol consumption and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as determined by the AUDIT and IES-R, were significantly higher in the indirectly-traumatized group. The ratio of high-risk members scoring higher than 23 in IES-R was larger in the indirectly traumatized group, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion : Alcohol consumption was significantly higher in the indirectly traumatized group. This group also included more members at high risk for PTSD. Further research, with a larger group of indirectly traumatized firefighters and ongoing investigation of PTSD development and other psychiatric symptoms, is needed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.80-98
• /
• 2022

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is well known to have a limited response to drug treatment. Many recently published clinical care guidelines recommend trauma-focused psychotherapies such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE) as first-line treatment and medication such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine as second-line treatment. Current review introduces the session composition and contents of CPT and presents various CPT studies that show therapeutic effect for civilian and veterans/military with PTSD. In order for clinicians to help effectively patients with PTSD, it is necessary to learn and actively use evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapies including CPT and PE.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.59-74
• /
• 2021

Li Gao left a great mark in the history of Chinese medicine by founding Piwei (脾胃) theory. When explaining Li Gao's medical ideology, researchers explain that his medical ideology was created by curing hunger during wartime and treating diseases of people who suffered from battle field trauma. However, Li Gao also suffered from battlefield trauma for his experience of the Mongol siege of Kaifeng (開封城) from 1232 to 1233. It is the hypothesis of this study that Li Gao himself would have suffered posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and this study reexamines the process more closely from the viewpoint of PTSD and posttraumatic growth (PTG). The conclusion of this study is that his achievement in medical history is a result of his PTG. Li Gao's narrative of Piwei (脾胃) theory contains elements that seek revenge against the Mongol soldiers, and Li Gao achieved extraordinary PTG by overcoming the trauma of the siege of Kaifeng step by step.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.79-85
• /
• 2010

Objectives : Trauma patients have attentional bias which enforces traumatic memories and causes cognitive errors. Understanding of such selective attention may explain many aspects of the posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) symptoms. Methods : We used the rapid serial visual presentation(RSVP) method to verify attentional blink in burn patients with PTSD. International affective picture system(IAPS) was used as stimuli and distracters. In the 'neutral test', patients have been presented series of pictures with human face picture as target stimuli. Each picture had 100ms interval. However the distance between target facial pictures was randomized and recognition of second facial picture accuracy was measured. In the 'stress test', the first target was stress picture which arouses patient emotions instead of the facial picture. Neutral and Stress tests were done with seven PTSD patients and 20 controls. In '85ms test' the interval was reduced to 85ms. The accuracy of recognition of second target facial picture was rated in all three tests. Eighty-five ms study was done with eighteen PTSD patients. Results : Attentional blinks were observed in 100-400ms of RSVP. PTSD patients showed increased recognition rate in the 'stress test' compared with the 'neutral test'. When presentation interval was decreased to 85 ms, PTSD patient showed decrease of attentional blink effect when target facial picture interval was 170ms. Conclusion : We found attentional blink effect could be affected by stress stimulus in burn patients. And attentional blink may be affected by stimulus interval and the character of stimulus. There may be some other specific mechanism related with selective attention in attentional blink especially with facial picture processing.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.36-43
• /
• 2003

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of cognitve function among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder according to severity of symptoms. Methods: The subjects were 90 psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with posttraumatic stress disorer(by DSM-IV criteria) after traffic accident. The severity of symptoms was assessed by MMPI subscales; depression, psychasthenia, schizophrenia. The impairment of cognitive function was assessed by Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale(K-WAIS). Based on scores of the MMPI subscales, the patients were divided into high group(above 70 percentile) and low group(below 30 percentile). We estimated the difference of the K-WAIS score and subtest score in the low group and high group of the MMPI subscales by indedpendent t-test. Results: The scores of high group is significantly higher in the subtests of information, vocabulary, similarity, picture completion, and picture arrangement than the low group for psychasthenia subscale of MMPI. And the score of high group is significantly higher in full scale I.Q., verbal I.Q., performance I.Q., verbal subscales except digit span and simiarity, and performance subscales than low group for schiozphrenia subscale of MMPI. Conclusion: It was found cognitive function was more impaired in the group of PTSD with severe symptom compared to the group of PTSD with mild symptoms. We suggest that psychiatrist should consider various cognitive approaches as well as pharmacotherapy in the management of PTSD.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.77-86
• /
• 2011

Objectives : These days assaults and other natural and human disasters are increasing. But oriental medical treatment researches in Korea are limited in car accident PTSD patients only. Our object is to explore an oriental medical intervention model for the evidence-based approach to PTSD after diverse trauma including disasters. Methods : Domestic papers for Korean researches are obtained from oriental medical related journals by internet searching. International materials are obtained from PubMed searching and a publication from Department of Veterans' Affairs. After assorting searched articles into RCTs and non-RCTs, we analyzed the articles according to the elapsed time from trauma. Results : We confirmed that acupuncture, CBT, and PMR were effective in acute stage after traumatic event. And EMDR, EFT, and relaxation therapy were effective in chronic stage after traumatic event. Building on the findings, we proposed a model of oriental medicine for Disaster Mental Health. Conclusions : Analyzing previous researches about oriental medicine on PTSD, several interventions were confirmed the effectiveness on specific treatment stage. We could find the possibility of Oriental Medicine as a Disaster Mental Heath and proposed a model of Oriental medicine for Disaster Mental Health.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.106-112
• /
• 2012

Objective : In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is essential to evaluate the severity of trauma with a reliable instrument. The combat exposure scale (CES) is one of the most widely used measures for the combat-related trauma. The present study was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the Korean version of CES (CES-K). Methods : One hundred and forty-five male Korean veterans of the Vietnam War participated in this study. CES-K, the structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R (SCID), clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS), and the Korean version life events checklist (LEC-K) were administered. Results : Cronbach's coefficient of CES-K was .85, and the test-retest reliability was .94. The mean [standard deviation (SD)] scores of CES-K were 20.4 (9.0) in the PTSD group and 12.0 (8.6) in the non-PTSD group (p<.001). CES-K showed a significant correlation with LEC-K (r=.31, p<.001) and CAPS (r=.52, p<.001). Only one factor was revealed by the factor analysis. Conclusion : CES-K showed good reliability and validity for assessing the severity of combat exposure. Further, it demonstrated comparable psychometric properties to the previous study. It is expected that CES-K will be a useful tool for evaluating the severity of combat exposure in Korea.