• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.77-85
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• 2023

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Korean adolescents. There is a growing interest in the role of loneliness as a risk factor for suicide ideation and depressive symptoms. However, little is known in the Korean context. This study analyzed a total of 109,796 respondents from the Korea Youth Health Behavior Survey in 2020 and 2021. Multiple logistic regression models were implemented to test the association between loneliness and either of suicidal ideation and depressive mood. Covariates included demographic characteristics, school enrolled, household income, living arrangement, self-rated health, and the number of times treated for violence. Adjusted odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed. 12.0% of adolescents reported to have felt lonely frequently and 3.0% always. 11.8% and 26.0% had suicidal ideation and depressive mood, respectively. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was higher in the always-lonely adolescents (52.6%) than in the frequently-lonely adolescents (35.1%). The always-lonely adolescents were nearly 30 times more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR=30.7; 95% CI, 27.1 - 34.8) and to feel depressed (OR=32.5; 95% CI, 29.2 - 36.4) than adolescents who felt never lonely. In conclusion, Loneliness was a major risk factor for suicidal ideation and depressive mood among Korean adolescents. Monitoring and addressing the condition of loneliness may help reduce suicidal ideation and depressive mood.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2020

Objectives: There is an increasing number of North Korean adolescents in South Korea. These adolescents need clinical attention as they experience a high risk of suicidal behavior because of the childhood adversity and acculturative challenges that they face before and after arriving in South Korea. This study assessed the risk of suicide attempts among North Korean adolescents compared to South Korean adolescents, and investigated the contributing factors for each group. Methods: We used data from the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS) spanning 2011 to 2018, in which 404 adolescents had a father and/or mother who was a North Korean native. Data on 1,212 propensity-matched South Korean adolescents were extracted from the 2011 to 2018 KYRBS. Prevalence was calculated and compared by group. Separate odds ratios were calculated by group. Results: The North Korean group had a significantly higher suicide attempt rate [unadjusted odds ratio (OR)=8.27; adjusted OR=8.45]. Multivariate analysis indicated that having a low or high socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with suicide attempts in North Korean adolescents, while being female, having a high socioeconomic status, alcohol use, and depressive symptoms were significantly related to suicide attempts in South Korean adolescents. Conclusion: The results found similarities and differences in the factors associated with the likelihood of suicide attempts in the two groups. From these results, different approaches are needed when planning interventions for each group.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.217-229
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• 2007

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the relationship between smoking, drinking and the mental health of adolescents. Method: The study subjects included 1,092 randomly sampled third-year middle and high school students from N-City and the L-Kun area in Chonbuk Province. The data were collected using an anonymous questionnaire developed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare(2005). The data were analyzed using the SPSSWIN 15.0 Program. Result: The smoking rate in the adolescents was 10.1%, and the drinking rate was 43.2%. The stress recognition rate in normal daily life was 45.5%, the frequency of depressive symptoms was 33.2% and 40.0% of the subjects reported that they wanted to die at some point within the past year. The rate of stress recognition, depressive symptom experience, suicidal planning and attempt in smokers and drinkers was higher than that in non-smokers and non-drinkers (p<.05). Especially, the frequency of suicidal thoughts was higher in the drinkers than in the non-drinkers (p<.05). Conclusion: The smoking and drinking status of the adolescents was correlated with their mental health a sit relates to stress, depression and suicide. Therefore, an effective program for the prohibition of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption is needed in order to prevent smoking and alcohol consumption in adolescents and improve their mental health status.

• Korean Journal of Family Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.340-346
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• 2018

Background: Several studies have revealed the frequency of family mealtimes to be inversely associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, there have been few studies in older populations. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between family mealtime frequency and depressive symptoms in elderly Koreans. Methods: This study analyzed 4,959 elderly men and women (aged 65 years or older) who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess depressive status, family mealtime frequency, and covariates. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association using the eating alone group as a reference. Results: After adjusting for all covariates, participants who had family meals 3 times a day had fewer depressive symptoms than the eating alone group; adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 0.72 (0.58-0.89) for point depressiveness/anxiety and 0.73 (0.56-0.94) for depressiveness lasting for at least 2 weeks. In suicidal ideation, the OR (95% CI) of eating with family twice a day was significant after full adjusting for covariates at 0.67 (0.50-0.88). Conclusion: Family mealtimes were closely associated with depressive symptoms in elderly Koreans, which suggests that maintaining intrafamilial bonding is important for mental health in an older population.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and high intensity exercise on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in adolescents. This is a secondary data analysis study using 15th Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. Data analysis was performed by chi-square and logistic regression analysis using SPSS 22.0. As a result, there were differences in allergic diseases, high-intensity exercise, smoking experience, and drinking experience in both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. After adjusting for smoking experience and alcohol experience, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis were influencing factor for depression symptoms(OR:1.16, 95% CI:1.07-1.26; OR:1.16, 95% CI:1.11-1.21; OR:1.17, 95% CI:1.11-1.23) and for suicidal ideation(OR:1.32, 95% CI:1.20-1.47; OR:1.22, 95% CI:1.15-1.29; OR:1.21, 95% CI:1.14-1.29). However, high intensity exercise had decreased depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation(OR:0.90, 95% CI:0.86-0.94; OR:0.85, 95% CI:0.80-0.90). As a result of this study, it was found that allergic diseases and high-intensity exercise had a great effect on mental health in adolescents, and we may use it as basic data for prevention and research related to the mental health of adolescent.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.984-991
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention program for middle school adolescent girls with depression. Methods: The study was a pretest-posttest repeated-measure design with a nonequivalent control group. Fifty eight students with depressive symptoms were recruited from two middle schools in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected from the intervention (n=30) and the comparison group (n=28). The research instrument was Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale. Results: The intervention group greatly improved from baseline to 10 weeks and then saw a slight positive change between 10 and 13 weeks. Conclusion: The results of this research show that depression intervention programs are effective for young female adolescents. Thus the investigation has important school-based treatment implications, and should be integrated into school curriculums by school health nurses for early intervention of depressive symptoms in middle school adolescent girls.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2010

Objectives : This study investigated the differences between the psychiatric characteristics of minor juvenile offenders and normal adolescents as well as differences in psychiatric symptoms after a six month protective disposition. Further, the current study aimed at determining psychiatric screening methods for evaluating delinquent adolescents. Methods : The Latent Delinquency Questionnaire (LDQ), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), the Reynolds Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ), the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Inventory (SCI), and the Korean Youth Self Report (K-YSR) were administered to 134 normal adolescents (114 males) and 109 minor offenders (97 males) aged 12 to 16 years. After six months, 46 offenders (all males) completed the RCMAS, CDI, SIQ, and SCI again. Results : Adolescents with minor offenses had more delinquent, aggressive behavior and externalizing behavior problems, but were significantly less depressive, anxious, or suicidal than normal controls. Further, recidivists had more anxiety, depression, and delinquent behavior than non-recidivists. Minor offenders reported that their anxiety and depressive mood decreased after six months of protective disposition. Conclusion : Adolescents with minor offenses had more delinquent, aggressive behavior and externalizing behavior problems suggesting that psychiatric screening tools for minor offenders should measure disruptive behavior disorder.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2018

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of depression and anxiety on treatment response of social skills training in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Methods : A total of 107 teenagers that participated in the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS$^{(R)}$) between 2011 and 2015 were analyzed using linear regression. Outcome measures used were the Korean version of Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), the Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge-Revised (TASSK-R), and the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (K-ADOS). Depression and anxiety were assessed by the Korean version of Child Depression Inventory (CDI), the Korean version of State and Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the Korean version of Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL). Results : As a result, depressive symptoms measured by CDI (p<0.05) and anxiety symptoms measured by STAIC (p<0.05) had significant influence on score change of social interaction domain of ADOS. It remained significant even after the baseline score was adjusted as covariates (p<0.05). Conclusion : We observed that pre-treatment anxiety and depressive symptoms of teenagers had significant effects on the treatment outcome of PEERS$^{(R)}$, especially in terms of face-to-face social interaction.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.168-177
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• 2019

Objectives: We examined the factor structure of the Adolescent version of the General Behavior Inventory (A-GBI) for Koreans. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 220 adolescents (age, 12-18 years) who completed the A-GBI through the Department of Psychiatry at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, from October 2011 to December 2018. Caregivers of the study participants completed the Parent version of the GBI (P-GBI) 10-item Mania Scale. The adolescents were evaluated based on the A-GBI, Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the maximum likelihood method with direct oblimin rotation and correlation analyses with other scales were performed. Results: The EFA identified a two-factor structure as having the best fit: factor I included depressive symptoms and factor II included hypomanic/biphasic symptoms. Factor I was very strongly correlated with the A-GBI depressive subscale (r=0.990, p<0.001) and strongly correlated with CDI (r=0.764, p<0.001) and RCMAS (r=0.666, p<0.001). Factor II was also very strongly correlated with the A-GBI hypomanic/biphasic subscale (r=0.877, p<0.001) and weakly correlated with CDI (r=0.274, p<0.001) and RCMAS (r=0.332, p<0.001). Conclusion: The above findings support a two-dimensional model of mood symptoms in Korean youth.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2015

Objectives : The objective of this study was to identify the risky behavior subtypes in adolescents with depression, and the relationship between those subtypes and suicide attempt. Methods : Ninety adolescents who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th edition criteria for major depressive disorder, dysthymia, or depressive disorder not otherwise specified participated in the study. Participants were interviewed about suicidal attempts, non-suicidal self-injuries. Smoking, drinking behaviors, and searching for the word "suicide" on the internet, negative life events including bulling-bullied experiences, and history of abuse were also included with questionnaires. Results : The results of cluster analysis showed that four risky behaviors were divided into three clusters : non-risky type, characterized by few risky behaviors ; delinquency type, which was characterized by smoking and drinking ; non-suicidal self-injury type. In non-suicidal self-injury type, percentage of girls was higher and clinical symptoms were more severe than delinquency type. In addition, delinquency type members could be a bully, while non-suicidal self-injury type members could be abused by a family member. Logistic regression analysis showed that both risky behavior subtypes were significant predictors of suicide attempt. Conclusion : These results suggest that two types of risky behaviors of depressed adolescents have an effect on the suicide attempts independently. Then, the implications and limitations of the study were discussed and directions for future studies were suggested.