• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.292-305
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• 1995

This study was carried out to develop a Korean language version of Zung's self-rating depression scale (SDS). The subjects consisted of 173 males and 161 females drawn from various groups of the general population by a cluster of sampling methods. In order to analyze the data on depression scores, Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient method was carried out, as well as reliability and factor analysis, by the SPSS/PC+ program. The results obtained were as follows: The mean average of the total depression scores were $40.60{\pm}8.66$ for the subjects. Thirty-seven subjects (11.1%) showed high depression scores of 50 or over. Test-retest reliability(coefficient r=0.82, p <0.001), internal consistency(coefficient r=0.84, p <0.001) were satisfactory. Factor analysis using oblique technique rotation yielded five factors. The items of confusion, indecisiveness, decreased libido, diurnal variation, and psychomotor retardation were scored higher by the subjects. The items of suicidal rumination, psychomotor agitation, constipation, irritability, and weight loss were scored lower.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2010

Purpose: Doxylamine is antihistamine drug that is used as a hypnotic. It is also used for suicidal attempts because it can be easily purchased at the pharmacy without a prescription. There were many articles about the complications after doxylamine intoxication such as a rhabdomyolysis, but only a few articles have reported on seizure. We reviewed the cases of doxylamine intoxication with seizure that were treated in the emergency department. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of the patients who were over 15 years old and who were intoxicated by doxylamine at 3 emergency medical centers from January 2006 to June 2010. We reviewed the patients' age, gender, the dose of doxylamine ingested, if gastrointestinal decontamination was done, the time from intoxication to hospital arrival, the seizure history, treatment of seizure, the electroencephalography (EEG) results, the brain computed tomography (CT) results and the blood test results. Results: There were 168 patients who were intoxicated by doxylamine during the study period. Twelve patients had a seizure episode. The differences between the patients who developed seizure and the patients who did not were the dose and the serum levels of sodium and creatinine. The only clinically meaningful difference was the amount of doxylamine. The amount of doxylamine ingested (>29 mg/kg) predicted the development of seizure with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 92% on the ROC curve. One patient among the seizure patients expired in the emergency department. Conclusion: In case of doxylamine intoxicated patients, there is close relationship between seizure and ingested amount, so close observation needs to be done for the patients who ingest too much because doxylamine can cause death. Further prospective studies are needed for doxylamine intoxicated patients with a seizure episode.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2019

Purpose: Non-benzodiazepine hypnotic drugs (including zolpidem) are associated with an increased risk of suicide and suicidal ideation. Considering the wide usage of zolpidem, this drug should be considered a possible etiology for stupor or coma in any patient exposed to this drug. However, there are no reports on zolpidem blood levels in emergency department patients in Korea. We therefore reviewed the analyzed data of a toxicology laboratory at one university affiliated hospital. Methods: The sex, age, chief symptoms, suspiciousness of poisoning, and presumption of poison were analyzed from January 2018 to June 2019. The detection frequency and level of zolpidem in the patient blood were compared to the mental changes presented, which is the main consequence of zolpidem. Results: A total of 229 toxicological analyses, requested to a toxicological laboratory at one university affiliated hospital, were reviewed. Among 229 patients, the mean age was 54.3±20.7 years old with 113 women and 116 men. 8.7% of patients have psychiatric illness and 39.7% were poisoned intentionally. The chief symptoms detected were: mental change 55.0%, gastrointestinal 14.4%, cardiovascular 10.5%, focal neurological 7.4%, respiratory 3.5%, none 8.7%, and unknown 0.4%. A request for detailed reports revealed that causative poisons were specified only in 20.1% cases. Zolpidem was detected in 22.3% cases (51/229), with median blood level 1.26 mg/L (interquartile 0.1, 5.06 mg/L) and urine 0.90 mg/L (interquartile 0.11, 5.6 mg/L). Furthermore, zolpidem was more frequently detected in toxicology analysis of patients where mental change was the primary symptom, as compared to other symptoms (32.5% vs. 9.7%, p<0.01). Conclusion: This study reported the blood level of zolpidem in suspected poisoning patients admitted to the emergency department.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2021

Objectives : The characteristics of depressive symptoms in patients with cancer is different from those in control group. However, few research has focused on the association between depressive symptoms in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to compare the network structure of depressive symptoms between patients with cancer and normal control. Methods : This study was based on cohort data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2016-2018. The Patient health Quetionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptoms in 599 patients with cancer and 599 age-sex matched controls. We estimated network structure of depressive symptom using Isingfit model. Results : There was no significant difference of each PHQ-9 item score. There were strong associations between symptoms were concentration problem-psychomotor activity, anhedonia-depressed mood, and depressed mood-suicidal ideation in both groups. Strength centrality of worthlessness was significantly higher in patients with cancer. Conclusions : These results suggest that worthless is associated with other depressive symptoms more tightly in patients with cancer. Worthless can serve as important treatment targets for intervention of depression in patients with cancer.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.233-263
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• 2018

This study sought to identify gender-specific mechanisms of increased suicide rates during economic crises in South Korea. In order to address research aims, we focused on two international economic crises: IMF financial crisis in 1997, and international recession in 2008. This study provides three main findings. First, different mechanisms increased suicide rates during the two economic crises. Particularly, the high level of unemployment raised suicide rates during the 1997 IMF while the high level of working poor in the 2008 recession. Second, suicidal risk patterns for men and women differed at each period. The 1997 crisis which mostly affected full-time permanent workers had had relatively greater impacts on men suicide, whereas the 2008 crisis which affected precarious workers had done on women suicide. Finally, our finding indicated that these gender-specific risk patterns had been derived from the gendered labour market and male-friendly social policy. Placing women at the periphery of the labor market and using them as a buffer in times of crisis, governments failed to protect them from their economic difficulties. Suicide is fundamental and important public health and social problems. These findings suggest that the national suicide prevention strategy should pay attention to the social determinants of suicide through gendered as well as population health perspectives.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.111-121
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• 2019

This study investigated the status of drinking highly caffeinated beverages by Korean adolescents, and we identified the factors influencing this behavior by Korean adolescents by using statistics from the 13th (2017) Survey on Youth Health Behavior Online Survey. The data was collected from 62,276 middle and high school students and the variables of this study included demographic factors, health behavioral factors, mental health factors and the availability of highly caffeinated beverages. The methods of data analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis. This study found that the intake rate of highly caffeinated beverages was 1.9% for men and 1.5% for women, and these percentages increased with age (p<0.001). Current smoking and drinking, current drug usage and active people also had high intake of caffeinated beverages (p<0.001). A high level of stress, a low level of subjective sleep satisfaction and a feeling of happiness increased the rate of consuming highly caffeinated beverages. The factors of drinking highly caffeinated beverages were gender, age, smoking, physical activity, drug use, stress level, depression and suicidal ideation. Therefore, continuous discussion is needed to improve both the health behavior and mental health by managing the stress felt by Korean adolescents.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.160-168
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• 2019

This study was conducted in order to suggest directions for nursing intervention and education to prevent problem drinking of adolescents. We examine the influences of mental health characteristics of adolescents on problem drinking. For the research method, this study conducts secondary analysis using raw data from the 13th (2017) Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. A total of 9,597 cases, excluding adolescents without drinking experience, were used for the final analysis. For the data analysis, the SPSS Win 23.0 program was used, and frequency analysis, ${\chi}^2$-test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted. Research results found general characteristics, school, school record, living type, father's education, and economic state were influencing factors on problem drinking. Regarding characteristics of mental health, depression (95% CI:1.578~1.930, p<.001), subjective happiness (95% CI:1.039~1.491, p=.002), suicidal ideation (95% CI:1.110~1.426, p<.001), and sufficiency of sleep (95% CI:1.085~1.399, p=.001) were primary factors affecting adolescents' problem drinking. Therefore, when conducting education for preventing problem drinking or nursing intervention programs targeting adolescents, it is necessary to provide methods offering experts' in-depth consultation with the consideration of characteristics of mental health of participants. Future research should conduct qualitative studies through in-depth interviews for reviewing problem drinking and identifying characteristics of adolescents. This study provides guidelines for nurses working with problem drinking adolescents in clinical settings and communities.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to identify the group with high risk of suicide in general hospital inpatient by comparing the depression, anxiety, and distress and their clinical characteristics. Methods : The study included all patients admitted to a general hospital between January 2016 and December 2017, and the final 41,249 patients were analyzed. Distress thermometer (DT) and hospital anxiety-depression scale (HADS) were used for emotional state evaluation. Group with high risk of suicide was defined as showing more than 4 in the DT and more than 8 in one of the two subscales (anxiety and depression) of the HADS. Results : Among the subjects, 3,603 patients (8.7%) met the high-risk criteria for suicide. The group with high risk of suicide experienced more severe pain than the control patient group, and it was found that there was more underlying disease. Patients who reported pain showed higher scores than those who reported no pain on the DT and HADS subscales. Conclusions : Group with high risk of suicide showed more severe pain and more underlying disease. Therefore, suicide prevention program specifically targeted for the group with high risk of suicide should be developed according to the risk of the patient evaluated at the time of the admission.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.865-885
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• 2008

This study addresses a number of issues related to suicide among older persons in Korea. The study investigates various aspects of elderly's suicide ideation, and how this quality of life and self-esteem impacts on their suicide ideation through depression. For the purpose of the study, the survey was conducted and 8,135 elderly 65 years old and over who reside in Gyeonggi-do participated. The result of the study indicated that quality of life, self-esteem and depression of the elderly showed statistically significant suicide ideation of the elderly. Participants were divided into two groups according to their physical health status. That is, to find out how quality of life and self-esteem of the elderly impact on the suicide ideation directly and indirectly through depression among elderly people with physical disease and no disease. The results showed that depression of the elderly people with physical disease was the most highly significant factors in explaining the elderly's suicidal ideation directly a comparison of elderly people with no physical disease. Therefore, depression is a major mental health problem associated with suicide. Finally, these findings of the study can improve the elderly people's quality of life and reduce suicide ideation.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct a protocol for the prevention of suicide in male baby boomers. Methods: In order to construct the protocol, a three-step expert consensus process was carried out. The first step was to compose questions based on various research data. For this purpose, two professors of psychiatric mental health nursing and two advanced practitioner nurse of psychiatric mental health in the composition. The second step was to conduct the first Delphi survey on expert panelists. The survey period was from October 13, 2015 to November 1, 2015. The third stage, the second Delphi investigation was conducted from November 10 to December 4, 2015. Results: As a result of the survey, a total of 7 areas of protocol configuration items were derived. The derived items include the characteristics of male baby boomers, suicidal signs, suicide risk factors, suicide protection factors, suicide measurement tools, related organizations, and mental health promotion programs. Conclusion: This study can be used as a guideline when intervening suicide prevention of male baby boomers in community mental health centers.