• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.123-134
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to show the clinical aspects in outpatients who visited Oriental Neuropsychiatry Clinic. Method : We studied 419 patients who visited Oriental Neuropsychiatry Clinic of Dong-Sea Medical Center from march, 2007 to August, 2007. Results & Conclusion : 1. The ratio of male to female patients was 1:2 and age distribution was most frequent in 50s. 2. From onset, 32% of patients visited Oriental Neuropsychiatry Clinic in a week, 58% of patients visited in a month. 3. Oriental Neuropsychiatry diseases were 80%, Non-Oriental Neuropsychiatry diseases were 20%. The most common Oriental Neuropsychiatry diseases were Somatoform Disorders. 4. The most common diagnosises of the Oriental Neuropsychiatry diseases were Psychosomatic diseases. 5. The most common cheif corn1ains were Headache. 6. The most commonly used herbal medicine was Gamiondam-tang and Guibi-tang

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.45-51
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• 2009

Pulmonary diseases distress millions of people worldwide. Numerous studies have shown an association between pulmonary disease and psychiatric disorders. Despite this, little is known about the treatment of psychiatric disorder in patients with pulmonary disease. The three main goals of this article are 1) to discuss the major disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperventilation, tuberculosis, lung cancer that most clinicians see in practice, 2) to provide an information about psychiatric treatment such as anxiety, depression, psychosis in pulmonary disease, and 3) to provide some clinically relevant suggestions about pharmacologic interactions between pulmonary and psychotropic drugs.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.214-217
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• 1997

Electroconvulsive therapy(ECT) is one of the most effective treatment modalities for the treatment of depression, mania, schizophrenia, or other neuropsychiatric disorders. But, reportedly ECT also can produce various forms of cardiac arrhythmia. We experienced a case of ECT-induced arrhythmia(PVC) accompanied with chest pain in a schizophrenic patient during the course of plain ECT. We conclude that there is a possible causal relationship between ECT and cardiac arrhythmia(PVC). The mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia(PVC) due to ECT may be explained by the effects of ECT to vagal and sympathetic nervous systems. from this case report, We suggest that careful cardiac monitoring before, during, and after ECT with appropriate anesthetic preparation to a patient may enable to minimize the cardiovascular side effects of ECT in the patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 1998

Objectives : The purposes of present study were to identify weight increment in female psychiatric patients during hospitalization and to evaluate the relationship between weight gain and daily calorie intake, daily activity and other variables of disease itself. Methods : 20 patients were studied. Body weight were measured once a week, and daily activity(total amounts of walking/day) and total amount of daily calorie intake were measured twice a week. We examined psychiatric and medical illness history, eating disorders' history and family history of eating disorders and obesity. Results: Mean body weight and Body Mass Index(BMI) at admission are 49.40kg and 19.59kg/$m^2$. Mean weight increment during hospital stays of mean 65 days is 4.90kg. Mean amounts of daily calorie intake and daily activity(daily walks) were increased during hospital stays, but not statistically significant. The degree of weight increment is higher in longer hospital stay group, but not statistically significant. Mean body weight at admission of mood disorder group is higher than that of schizophrenia group, but not statistically significant. Conclusion : This results suggested that weight increment in female psychiatric hospitalized patients is present. However, it is not resulted by amount of calorie intake and daily activity level.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.226-232
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• 1999

Background : Various type of psychological and stressful events in life have been reported to have much effect in the onset, progress and exacerbation of psychosomatic disorders such as hypertension, bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer, tension headache, alopecia areata, and atopic dermatitis. However, the nature of the association between stress and psychosomatic disorders remains unclear. Objective : The purpose of this study is to determine the relation of stress and the progress of dermatologic disorder. Method : We examined 30 patients with atopic dermatitis and 30 control subjects with tinea pedis and onychomycosis who visited to Dept. of Dermatology, Chung-Ang University Hospital. To evaluate the stress, we used 'Scale of Life Events' and 'Multidemensional Coping Scale'. Result : 1) The score of life events stress in atopic dermatitis group was significantly higher than that of control group. 2) In the result of coping strategies, the atopic dermatitis group was significantly higher than control group at the active forgetting, positive comparison, and emotional pacification, while in control group religious seeking and accomodation tended to be higher with no statistical significance. Conclusion : These findings suggest that psychosocial stress may play a role in life pattern of atopic dermatitis. But further studies are needed to clarity the exact relationship between stress and psychosomatic disorder.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.26-41
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• 1999

The perceived stress response inventory(PSRI) was developed to measure 4 types of current stress responses : emotional, somatic, cognitive, and behavioral responses. 242 patients with psychiatric disorders(71 patients with anxiety disorders, 73 patients with depressive disorders, 47 patients with somatoform disorders, 51 patients with psychosomatic disorders) and 215 healthy subjects completed the questionnaire including the PSRI. Global assessment of recent stress(GARS) scale, perceived stress questionnaire(PSQ) and symptom checklist-90-revised(SCL-90-R) were also administered at the same time. Factor analysis for each of 4 types of stress responses yielded 8 factors : negative emotional responses, general somatic symptoms, specific somatic symptoms, lowered cognitive function and general negative thinking, self-depreciative thinking, impulsive-aggressive thinking, passive-responsive and careless behavior, and impulsive-aggressive behavior. Both test-restest reliability(r= .83 -.93) and internal consistency(Cronbach's alpha : .79 -.96 for each of 8 subscales and .98 for total items of the scale) were all at statistically significant levels. Total scores of the PSRI significantly correlated with total scores of GARS scale, PSQ, and global indicies of SCL-90-R, respectively. The patient group had significantly higher scores than healthy subjects in each of all the subscales except impulsive-aggressive behavior subscale. These results suggest that the PSRI is a reliable and valid tool stable over time which may be effectively used for the research in stress-related field including psychosomatic medicine.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.138-145
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• 1996

The behaviors associated with illness are different depend upon individuals even if Patients complaints same symptoms and have same disease. Understanding the patterns of those behaviors become one of the important elements in determining the diagnostic and treatment approaches and treatment compliance. The sick role plays a essencial part in abnormal illness behavior. The characteristics of abnormal illness behavior ran be applied to many parts in medicine. In case of the various kinds of functional disorders whose organic foundations are obscure and in applying the cognitive therapy, rehabilitation program and occupational therapy, the assessment and evaluation of the abnormal illness behvior is known to be beneficial. For improving the comprehensive psychiatric treatments which could be applied to the Koreans more effectively in patients with somatoform disorders and other various kinds of neurotic disorders further researches especially on the medico-historical and socio-cultural aspects of the illness behavior should be followed. And understanding the abnormal illness behavior would be helpful in enhancing the medical cost effectiveness.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.262-268
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• 1996

It is important not only understanding the underlying psychodynamic mechanism of the somatization but also understanding the somatization as a process where biological and sociocultural factors are acting as maintaining and exaggerating the primary vague somatic symptoms. Recently, among mechanisms of the somatization biological and cognitive aspect became more important than psychodynamics. When the doctors see patients complain physical discomforts without organic foundation, they should give attention to the mechanism of symptom amplification, misinterpretation, individual cognitive characteristics and learned behavior. Psychiatric disorders which show somatic symptoms should be also evaluated. Autonomic dysfunctions linked with stress would give some clues of the mystery of the mind-body relationship.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 1993

The consulting internist will encounter patients with psychiatric symptoms and those who take psychotropic medications in many settings. The internist must loam to feel comfortable interacting with patients who display psychiatric symptoms. while maintaining an open and unprejudiced attitude toward their evaluation. The proper delineation of psychiatric disorders from normal emotional reactions resets on a careful history, a mental status evaluation. and a knowledge of psychiatric syndromes. Many physicians tend erroneously to view behavioral changes only in a psychological framework Abrupt changes in behavior, personality, mood. or ability to function should be evaluated for possible organic causes. Then, the internists should take their consultation to psychiatrists and freely discuss psychologic problems of the patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.214-221
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• 1995

There appears to be an increased incidence of anxiety symptoms in association with certain medical illness. It is usually assumed that certain medical disorders are directly associated with anxiety symptoms in that the pathophysilolgy of the medical illness somehow causes the anxiety symptoms. However, the pathophysilolgies of many such medical illnesses as well as anxiety are not known and no discrete group of medical illnesses is clearly more likely to produce anxiety symptoms than any other Moreover, anxiety symptoms may be the representation of other psychiatric symptoms, like depression and delirium. Though it is important to differentiate primary and other causes(secondary) of anxiety clinically, the clear differentiation is somewhat arbitrary, as the confusion of mind-body dichotomy. for the purpose of accurate treatment of anxiety symptoms relating medical illness, this review article focuses on those clinical features and mechanisms of anxiety that are potentially useful in differential diagnosis.