• Journal of forensic and investigative science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.5-22
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• 2007

From the numerous social problems generated by the unbalanced social development and the social trend of belittling life overall, we found the causes of suicide getting worse in its seriousness day by day. In reality, the problem has been approached in a collateral level in contrast with other social problems. There have been an active involvement in studying the definition, causes and ways of prevention of suicide theoretically until now. However, different from other social problems, it is almost impossible to treat or fix the problem of suicide. Only ways to treat or fix the problem is when the suicide has ended in failure. Thus, this study intends to examine the suicide rate among the total accidents during the year 2005, perform the analyses on the actual causes according to the relations such as the means of suicide, occupation, age group, educational background, etc. In order to present a solution to the issue of suicide becoming serious each day. Among the total accidents in 2005, the suicide rate came out to be approximately 52.4%. Among the result, 52.4%, male with 69% resulted higher than female with 31%, which appears to be related to the social functions. While men tends to take more active(80%) means of suicide like jumping off, poison, hanging, etc., women tends to take more passive(60%) means of suicide like sleeping pills, slitting wrist, etc. In terms of the cause, pessimism, illness, denial, mental disorder, etc resulted more than 75%, and there were many cases of suicide after exhibiting the signs of depression. Also there were higher suicide rate of the unemployed engaged in direct labor with educational background lower than college level related to the pessimism regarding the family living cost. We were able to determine the recent increase in the suicidal tendency of the educated people higher than the college level and the retired people with depression caused by the sudden change in social status. Overall there are several reasons for suicide, however, in most cases the signs of depression were exhibited until the final suicide, which tells us the serious psychological problem of suicide. Assuming that the current development of suicide will continue in future, the result of this study will guide the corresponding social policies, be utilized in preparing the insurance or management at the national level dealing with the real social problems that are not just a conflict of an individual, but could spread like a fad and become much bigger than the present by the continuous support at the environmental, social and political levels, and be utilized as the basic data to establish the research plan.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.380-388
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• 2005

Background : Acute drug intoxication has recently become an important issue in the social and clinical areas. There are various complications associated with acute drug intoxication such as pneumonia, but the process is was not fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze our cases of pneumonia associated with acute drug intoxication and to determine the associated risk factors. Methods : Forty four cases out of 237 patients, who were acute drug intoxicated from May 2000 to Feb. 2005, were diagnosed with pneumonia at the Konyang University hospital. These cases were analyzed by a retrospective review of their medical records. Results : The incidence of pneumonia in acute drug intoxication was 18.6%. There was no gender difference in terms of the incidence, but the age group with the highest incidence was in the $5^{th}$ decade (22.5%) followed by the $7^{th}$ decade (17.9%). Most common drug of associated with pneumonia was organophosphate insecticides, and the others were herbicides. Suicidal attempts were the most common motive of intoxication. The incidence of pneumonia was increased in old age (${\beta}=0.128$, p<0.05). A drowsy or comatous mental status was an independent risk factors of pneumonia (${\beta}=-0.209$, p=0.006). A longer hospital duration was also a risk factor for pneumonia (${\beta}=0.361$, p<0.001). The intubated state, intensive care unit care and longer duration of admission correlated with the course of pneumonia in acute drug intoxicated patients (p<0.05). The culture study revealed MRSA to be most common pathogen. Conclusion : The incidence of pneumonia associated with acute drug intoxication was higher in the older aged patients, those with a decreased initial mental status and a longer hospital duration. The number of days in the intensive care unit and intubation were associated prognostic factors for pneumonia in acute drug intoxication patients.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1983.05a
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• pp.12.2-13
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• 1983

Corrosive injuries of the esophagus by accident or suicidal attempt, though decreasing in number, still represent an important problem of our national pathology. One of the most difficult problems facing any physician is the diagnosis and management of caustic ingestion. In order to determine the extent of esophageal bums, to prevent the potential complication, to increase the therapeutic effect, the use of esophagoscopy is an essential step, and it has lessened an unnecessary admission and treatment. The authors have found the value of early esophagoscopy in selected 41 corrosive esophagitis patient who were admitted to Dept. of ENT, Wonju medical college, Yonsei university between 1980. 1-1982. 12

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.150-165
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic factors of postpsychotic depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients were selected based on the diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV, PANSS and ESRS. For all patients information was collected on demographic and clinical characteristics. The subjective depressive symptoms and the objective depressive symptoms, as well as patients insight regarding psychosis were evaluated. The subjective depressive symptoms were evaluated by BDI and ZDS; the objective depressive symptoms were evaluated by HDRS and CDSS, and patient insight into the psychosis was evaluated by KISP. Results: The comparisons using demographic and clinical characteristics showed that HDRS and CDSS had significant difference with regard to gender and suicide attempts; the BDI was associated with difference in education level and age of onset. The patients with scores above cuff-off score for each scale were 20(25.0%) for the BDI, 16(20.0%) for the ZDS, 18(22.5%) for the CDSS and 6(7.5%) for the HDRS. The results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the scores for the KISP, education levels, gender and suicide attempts were the main prognostic factors in patients with the psychotic depressive disorder of schizophrenia. Conclusion: The main prognostic factors in psychotic depressive disorder of schizophrenia included: insight into psychosis, suicidal attempts. Insight into the psychosis was the most reliable prognostic factor but this characteristic had a negative relationship to the with depressive symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2015

Objectives: To understand the risk factors of demographic data in geriatric depression scale, and suicidality among in elderly who live alone at one urban region. Methods:In 2009, 589 elderly who live alone(age${\geq}$65) were carried out a survey about several socio-demographic data, Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale(SGDS-K) and Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Statistical analysis was performed for the collected data. Results: Mean age of elderly who live alone is 75.69(SD 6.17). 40.1% of participants uneducated, 31.4% graduate from elementary school, 12.9% graduate from high school, 11.7% graduate from middle school, 3.2% graduate from university. Religionless, having past history of depression or physical diseases, low subjective satisfaction of family situation, and not having any social group activity have significance to depressive symptoms of elderly who live alone. Having past history of depression, religionless, low subjective satisfaction of family situation have significance to suicidality. Especially, low subjective satisfaction of family situation and having past history of depression are powerful demographic factor both depressive symptoms and suicidality of elderly who live alone. Conclusions: When we take care elderly who live alone, we should consider many things, but especially the social support network such as family satisfaction and past history of depression for reducing or preventing their depression and suicide both elderly depression and suicide who live alone.

• The Critical Review of Religion and Culture
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• no.31
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• pp.255-287
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• 2017

This paper analyzes the religious circuit of suicidal concept based on verbal expression and ritual acts, which are found in the suicide discourse of Korean Catholic Church and Protestant Church. In the relationship of suicide and religion, it is easily overlooked the religious circuit and its construction that forms the concept of suicide among the religious laymen. It is assumed that the belief system of traditional religions prohibits suicide and the laymen accordingly construct a perception or concept of suicide along with this belief system. Various studies on this subject have proved it. However, in order to understand the religious way of constructing the concept of suicide on a personal level, it is necessary to pay attention to the religious environment in which the concepts and emotions of suicide circulate. The laymen do not passively and perfectly accept the finely established suicide concept provided by the doctrine or the theology. Rather, the laymen tend to collect the pieces of concept over the suicide that are drifting in the religious environment of his/her daily routine life and to make an concept of suicide in an incomplete form. We can find the unstable and imperfect traits of such a suicide concept through the experience of suicide survivors who have a religious background. For the suicide survivors with religious beliefs, they resist the formal doctrinal and theological provisions to suicide, or try to understand the notion of suicide in their own contexts. In terms of linguistic expressions and ritual acts relating to suicide, the attentions are differently directed in the public and the private domain among the religious groups. Considering on the high rates of suicide in Korean society, the Korean Catholic Churches are increasingly tolerant over the suicide and accept it in the public sphere. It is unlikely when comparing to the negative attitudes of the suicide in the past. However, such tolerance does not go beyond the doctrinal and ethical judgment that defines suicide as a serious sin. The once-committed lay believer's speech and gestures usually contain the various emotions, such as sadness, grief, anxiety, regretfulness, eagerness, and pain in the private spheres. The language and gestures with these emotions have been activated in the religious circuits of suicide, being extended to the religious apparatus for the person who died of suicide. In case of Protestantism, the institutional organizations, such as the particular denominations and the individual-churchism of the Korean Protestant Churches, and their own interpretations of the Bible have in the private sphere strongly effected on the linguistic expressions and the rituals related to the suicide. The religious-ethical judgment of the suicide is varied how the suicide is interpreted by the theologians and the pastors. And the ritual acts for healing the complex feelings and the psychological wounds of the suicide survivors are not actively explored and adopted yet. It makes harder to approach and heal the protestant followers since they emphasize the innermost belief and the salvation assurance faith.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2022

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate depression and suicide ideation according to socioeconomic changes after COVID-19 among Korean adolescent. Methods : Data on the study population were obtained from the 16th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS). The KYRBS is a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents (aged 12-18 years) that originally included over 103 questions in 15 domains of health-risk behaviors. In the 16th KYRBS, a total 54,948 students from 793 schools responded to the survey. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were conducted regarding depression and suicide ideation. Results : This study suggests that changes in the family household before and after COVID-19 pandemic are also affecting the mental health of the adolescents. The study shows that worse change of family household is significant associations with suicidal ideation and depression. Adolescents reporting worse (AOR 1.38; 95% CI 1.38-1.57) and much worse (AOR 2.07; 95% CI 1.87-2.29) were significantly more likely to report depression. Adolescents reporting worse (AOR 1.34; 95% CI 1.34-1.60) and much worse (AOR 2.01; 95% CI 1.76-2.29) were significantly more likely to report suicide ideation. Conclusions : In this study, it was confirmed that young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are at high risk of suicide ideation and more depression. The results of this study suggest that we should consider improving the screening and prevention of mental health problems for adolescents with poor socioeconomic changes of COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Forensic Psychology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.121-145
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• 2022

The current study applied the random forest algorithm to Korean crime victim survey data collected biennially between 2010 and 2018 to explore the relationship between crime/victim characteristics and the victim's criminal damages. A total of 3,080 cases including gender, age (life cycle stage), type of crime, perpetrator acquisition, repeated victimization, psychological damage (depression, isolation, extreme fear, somatic symptoms, interpersonal problems, moving out to avoid people, suicidal impulses, suicide attempts), and emotional changes after victimization (changes in self-protection confidence, self-esteem, confidence in others, confidence in legal institutions, and respect for Korean legal system/law) were analyzed. Considering the features of data that are difficult to apply traditional statistical techniques, this study implemented random forest algorithms to predict crime and victim characteristics using the victim's criminal damages (psychological damage and emotional change) and selected good predictors using VSURF function in VSURF package for R. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the relationship between the type of crime and depression, extreme fear, somatic symptoms, and interpersonal problems, between perpetrator acquisition and somatic symptoms and interpersonal problems, and between repeated victimization and changes in respect for Korean legal system/law. Gender and life cycle stage (youth/adult/elderly) were found to be related to extreme fear and changes in self-protection confidence, respectively. However, more empirical evidence should be aggregated to explain the results as meaningful. The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to enhance the experts' knowledge and educate them on cases about the relationship between crime/victim characteristics and criminal damage. Strengthening their interview strategy and knowledge about law/rules were also needed to increase the effectiveness of the Korean victim assessment system.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aims to compare the mental health of adolescents living in child care institutions (orphanages) and youth shelters, to provide basic data for appropriate psychiatric interventions for each facilities. Methods : The sample consisted of 157 adolescents in child care institutions and 31 adolescents in Youth Shelters who completed the Korean version of the Youth Self Report (K-YSR). We compared the K-YSR scores between the two groups and also examined factors related to suicidality. Results : Adolescents in youth shelters were older and had higher rates of drinking (p<0.001), smoking (p<0.001), and "abnormal sleep" (p=0.007) than adolescents in child care institutions. They also showed higher 'suicidality' (p=0.004) and K-YSR scores. On the other hand, adolescents in child care institutions have lower 'suicidality', but they have higher 'suicidality' when they have 'abnormal sleep' (OR 4.194; p=0.006), 'abnormal diet' (OR 2.503; p=0.010), and 'concerns about weight gain' (OR 2.503; p=0.010). Additionally, 17.6% of participants in the study showed 'suicidality'. The 'suicidality' group had a higher overall K-YSR score than the non-suicidal group, and had higher 'abnormal sleep' (OR 3.766; p=0.014) and 'concern about weight gain' (OR 2.864; p=0.032). Conclusions : Adolescents in youth shelters appear to have more serious clinical difficulties than adolescents in child care institutions, so prompt psychiatric intervention is needed. Additionally, it is necessary to consider mental health assessments including suicidality when adolescents in child care institutions complain of sleep, eating, or weight gain problems.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2024

Objectives : This study aims to explore the prevalence of depressive symptoms among elderly residents in the relatively stable rural areas of Jeju and to examine the relationships between levels of depression, sociodemographic factors, and health habits. Methods : The study site was within rural Jeju, where elderly individuals aged 65 and older were randomly selected from the 'Agricultural Cohort' registered at the Centers for Farmers' Safety and Health Center. Trained interviewers conducted surveys using the Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale (sGDS-K), defining those with scores of 6 or above as experiencing depressive symptoms for the analysis. Other variables such as sex, age, educational level, marital status, annual income, subjective health status, underlying disease, perceived stress levels, smoking, and drinking status were also recorded Results : Out of 533 subjects, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 35.3%, with 28.5% in male and 45.6% in female (p<0.001). Factors significantly associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms included marital status (p=0.014), educational level (p<0.001), annual income (p=0.034), subjective health status (p<0.001), perceived stress level (p<0.001), feeling of despair (p<0.001) and suicidal ideas (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that subjective health status, perceived stress level, and feelings of despair were associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Conclusions : The high prevalence of depressive symptoms among the rural elderly in Jeju highlights the need for targeted mental health interventions. Addressing sociocultural factors and improving early detection and intervention strategies can help reduce the socioeconomic impact of depression in this population.