• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.216-222
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the symptoms and care needs of home-based cancer patients in Korea and to add to the scarce literature on this topic. Methods: Data were collected from patients who subscribed to home-based cancer care services in Jinju. Assessments were performed by nurses at the local public health center. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System with a numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to identify symptoms, and a four-point Likert scale was used to assess psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Results: Cross-sectional data were collected in October 2013. A total of 209 patients participated and their median age was 65 years (range, 17~89 years). Most patients were diagnosed in the early stage of cancer (n=188); only 19 patients were diagnosed in the advanced stage. More than half the patients lived alone (n=115, 55.0%) and took care of themselves (n=128, 61.2%). Anorexia and fatigue were the most common symptoms (median NRS, 5 and 4, respectively). Patients needed economic support the most, whereas spiritual care was least needed (n=138 [67.3%] vs. n=128 [62.1%], respectively). Conclusion: Patients who signed up for home-based cancer care services in Jinju are struggling with a financial issue and physical symptoms. A customized approach is needed to improve the quality of the home-based care services.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 2014

Objectives : Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD) represent significant clinical problems, resulting in functional decline, caregiver distress, institutionalization and increased mortality. A recent study showed gender differences have important role in the development of BPSD, but relationship between BPSD and gender has never been studied in Korea. This study was designed to examine whether patients with Alzheimer's disease show gender differences in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD). Methods : Ninety-eight subjects with Alzheimer's disease were included in this study. We carried out history taking and cognitive assessment for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on DSM-IV. Cognitive impairment and BPSD were measured using the Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR) and the Korean Neuropsychiatric Inventory(K-NPI). Independent samples t-test was used to examine the differences across gender in BPSD. Correlation analysis between MMSE, CDR, GDS and NPI was performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : There were no significant gender differences between the gender in BPSD. We found statistically significant negative correlations between MMSE with NPI total score, and with scores of several sub-domains such as hallucination. Conclusions : This study showed that gender differences in BPSD are not significant. Further research is necessary to identify whether BPSD affect gender differences or individual differences.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.35-45
• /
• 1998

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine correlation between coping strategies to disease and quality of life in chrome viral B hepatitis patients ; to investigate difference of coping strategies to disease and quality in life between chronic viral B hepatitis patients and normal persons ; and to identify major variables related to quality in life of chronic viral B hepatitis patients. Methods: The authors used Weisman coping strategy scale for measuring coping ability and efficacies, and the questionnaire for measuring quality of life including physical, psychological, social and economical aspects and satisfaction of sexual life was made by authors based on related literatures. Data were collected through questionnaire survey over a period from Sep 15, 1994 to Nov 11, 1994. Subjects served for this study consisted of 94 chronic viral B hepatitis patients visited to department of internal medicine at one general hospital and 100 normal persons visited to one general hospital for routine check up of health. The collected data were analyzed by SAS and the statistical methods for analysis were Chisquare, t-test and multiple regression analysis. Results : 1) It was revealed that coping strategies to disease significantly correlated to individual's quality of life. 2) There was no significant difference in coping strategies to disease between chronic viral B hepatitis patients and normal persons. However, chronic viral B hepatitis patients showed the lower scroes of quality of life in physical, psychological and economical aspects. 3) The most important variables which were influenced upon quality of life were coping strategies to disease and satisfaction of sexual life. That is, the more active coping strategies to diseases and the higher satisfaction of sexual life, consequently the higher quality of life was. Especially male patient group or normal persons showed each other the higher scores of quality of life in physical and psychological area than female group or patient group. 4) No statistically significant difference in coping strategies to disease and quality of life was found between HBeAg positive group and HBeAg negative group. Conclusions : The authors suggest that chronic viral B hepatitis patients may show the lower score of quality of life than normal person. Therefore, quality of life assessment should become an integral part of all clinical area that seek to assess the effectiveness of treatment. Also, through the interdisciplinary approach, a comprehensive paradigm that can better account for the effects of chronic disease on the individual' s quality of life should be developed.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.22-30
• /
• 2012

Objective : We investigated whether Posttraumatic stress disorder patients have a higher tendency to exaggerate the extent of their psychological symptoms compared to other psychiatric patients. Methods : Medical records of patients, who had received psychiatric treatment at four university hospitals in Korea between January 2009 and December 2010, were retrospectively reviewed. We compared a group of 37 patients diagnosed with PTSD, and another group of 41 patients diagnosed with neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders according to the ICD-10. To compare the extent of malingering in the two groups, we compared the validity scales of MMPI-2 and Personality Assessment Inventory. We determined the number of participants in both groups feigning their responses by using various cutoff scores of the validity indicators. Results : The PTSD group showed significantly higher scores on the F (p=0.001), F (B)(p=0.000), F (P)(p=0.030), F-K (p=0.003) scale of the MMPI-2 compared to the other group of psychiatric patients. The PTSD group had a significantly higher NIM score (p=0.001) but a lower PIM score (p=0.020) of the PAI compared to the other group of psychiatric patients. Using the cutoff scores, the PTSD group showed a significantly higher number of patients who feigned responses compared to the other group ($Fb{\geq}75$ (p=0.010), $F-K{\geq}1$ (p=0.005), $F-K{\geq}10$ (p=0.011) from the MMPI-2, and $NIM{\geq}80$ (p=0.001) from the PAI). Conclusion : These results suggest that PTSD patients have a tendency to exaggerate their symptom. This group of patients overreported the severity of their condition during standardized personality assessment that included the MMPI-2 or PAI compared to patients diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders. Additional research is required to determine the factors influencing symptom exaggeration in PTSD.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.143-154
• /
• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive and psychological characteristics of patients with military service suitability issues compared to the general psychiatric outpatients. Methods : 108 patients who visited psychiatric clinic center due to military service suitability issues and 80 general psychiatric patients were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry of university hospital. ANCOVA and chi-equare test were used to examine differences between two groups. Furthermore, we utilized paired t-test to compare the scrore within military group depending on when they performed the psychological assessment. Results : There were no significant differences between military group and general outpatient group in WAIS-IV scores. However, military group scored remarkably higher than control group on validity scales, F-r and Fp-r whereas they scored lower on validity scale, K-r. Furthermore, military group showed significantly higher on BDI and MMPI-2-RF, EID, RCd, RC2, RC3, COG, HLP, SFD, NFC, STW, SAVE, SHY, DSF, NEGE-r, INTR-r. As a result of comparison within the military group following the periods of assessment, military group did not show the significant differences on the overall scales of MMPI-2-RF. Conclusions : The present study showed that military group tends to report their psychological distress more exaggeratedly. In addition, they had significantly elevated not only emotional distress such as depression and anxiety but interpersonal problem. The implications and limitations were discussed along with some suggestions for the future studies.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.175-182
• /
• 2013

Purpose: Spirituality is an important domain and is related with physical and psychological symptoms in terminal cancer patient. The aim of this study is to examine how patients' spirituality is associated with their physical and psychological symptoms as it has been explored by few studies. Methods: In this cross sectional study, 50 patients in the palliative ward of a tertiary hospital were interviewed. Spiritual well-being, depression, anxiety and pain is measured by Functional Assessment of Chronic-Illness Therapy-Spirituality (FACIT-Sp), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the Korean version of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-K). The correlations between patients' spiritual well-being and anxiety, depression and pain were analysed. The association between spiritual well-being and age, gender, palliative performance scale (PPS), religion, mean pain intensity, anxiety, depression were assessed by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Results: Spiritual well-being was negatively correlated with the mean pain intensity (r=-0.283, P<0.05), anxiety (r=-0.613, P<0.05) and depression (r=-0.526, P<0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, spiritual well-being showed negative association with anxiety (OR=-1.03, 95% CI=-1.657~-0.403, P=0.002) and positive association with the existence of religion (OR=9.193, 95% CI=4.158~14.229, P<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, patients' anxiety and existence of religion were significantly associated with spiritual well-being after adjusting age, gender, PPS, mean pain intensity, depression. Prospective studies are warranted.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.653-662
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influences of oral health behaviors, depression, and stress on periodontal disease in pregnant women. Methods: The participants in this study were 129 pregnant women. Data were collected using questionnaires which included individual characteristics, oral health care behaviors, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D), a global measure of perceived stress, and pregnancy stress. A dentist measured periodontal probing depth and classified stages of periodontal disease according to the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. Results: Periodontal disease had significant correlations with oral health care behaviors (r=-.56, p <.001), perceived stress (r=.44 p <.001), pregnancy stress (r=.37 p <.001), diet (r=-.33, p <.001) and depression (r=.18 p =.046). Factors influencing periodontal disease for these pregnant women were being in the 2nd (${\beta}=.27$, p <.001) or 3rd trimester (${\beta}=.45$, p <.001), having a pregnancy induced disease (${\beta}=.20$, p =.002), performing higher oral health behaviors (${\beta}=-.30$, p <.001), and having higher perceived stress (${\beta}=.17$, p =.028). The explanation power of this regression model was 61.6% (F=15.52, p <.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that periodic assessment of periodontal disease is essential for pregnant women who are in 2nd or 3rd trimester and have pregnancy induced diseases. Enhancing oral health care behaviors and reducing perceived stress are indicated as effective strategies to reduce periodontal disease in pregnant women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.733-741
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was a descriptive survey research to identify the impact of bowel function, anxiety and depression on quality of life in patients with rectal cancer who had a sphincter-preserving resection. Methods: Participants were 100 patients who had rectal cancer surgery at W hospital in Korea. Bowel function, anxiety & depression, and quality of life were measured using the BFI (Bowel Function Instrument), HADS (Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale) and the FACT-C (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal). Results: The mean scores were $39.81{\pm}5.16$ for bowel function, $6.15{\pm}3.25$ for anxiety, $7.24{\pm}3.13$ for depression, and $72.50{\pm}13.27$ for quality of life. There were significant negative correlations between quality of life and anxiety (r= -.59, p <.001) and between quality of life and depression (r= -.53, p <.001). But the correlation between quality of life and bowel function was significantly positive (r=.22, p =.025). The influence of the independent variables on the total quality of life was examined using multiple regression analysis. Anxiety (${\beta}$= -.38, p =.002), bowel function (${\beta}$= -.25, p =.028) and occupation (${\beta}$=.16, p =.048) were identified as factors affecting quality of life. The explanation power of this regression model was 44% and it was statistically significant (F=16.53, p <.001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that in order to improve the bowel function of patients after sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer, effective nursing interventions should be developed. As psychological problem such as anxiety and depression can relate to quality of life for these patients, nurses should work on improving the situation by providing continuous emotional nursing.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.147-157
• /
• 2007

Purpose: Assessment of stress and coping effort of hospitalized children's mother are very important factor to support and recover the children. The purpose of this study was to identify the stress and coping effort in mothers whose children are hospitalized. And analyzes the correlation between mother's stress and coping effort on the hospitalized children. Method: This study surveyed 70 mothers whose children are hospitalized. The data was collected for this study at one university hospital in Daejeon from June 1,2007 to July 10, 2007. The instruments used in this study were the mother's stress scale which was developed by Ok-Nam, You(1998), modified by Ho-Jin, Mun(2001), and the mother's coping effort were measured with the Coping Health Inventory for Parents(CHIP) developed by McCubbin and Patterson(1981). The data was analyzed by using SPSS program and include ANOVA, and Pearson's Correlation. Result: The mother's stress was average 2.42 out of a possible 4 points. Type of coping effort was in order of type III(cope with it by understanding medical circumstances)(M=2.73), type I(Cope with it through positive definition)(M=2.43), type II (cope with it by maintaining psychological stability)(M=2.28). Total coping effort according to general character of mothers whose children are hospitalized showed a significant difference in occupation(P<.05). Correlations between mother's stress and total coping effort was r=-.361(P<.05). Conclusion: This study based on nursing of stress and coping effort of hospitalized children's mothers. Pediatric nurses need to establish a stronger communication board and a relationship between medical staff and children's parents so that have supportive information. And to establish a support program that strengthens the coping effort of hospitalized children's mothers.

• Journal of TMJ Balancing Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.sup
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review main symptoms of outpatient in Lee young Jun clinics who developed the functional cerebrospinal therapy and to investigate the therapeutic effects on one time application of functional cerebrospinal therapy (FCST). Methods: Patients who visited at least twice at an oriental medical clinic and treated with FCST were included. They were asked to write 216 numeric rating scale (NRS)-based questionnaire about degree of various symptoms at each visit. Prevalence and degree decrease of all reported symptoms were analyzed. Results: Total of 744 outpatients were included. There were fourteen symptoms of which more than half of all patients commonly complained. All symptoms were significantly reduced after one administration of FCST. About four to seven percent of patients reported at least five-point reduction on NRS in each symptom after FCST. Conclusions: FCST might have potential immediate effect on not only TMJ related symptoms, but also diverse kinds of pain, psychological symptoms, and fatigue-related symptoms.