• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2021

Breast cancer is the most prevalent oncological disease among women. Various psychosocial distress is common at the diagnosis, treatment, and posttreatment phase of breast cancer. For the treatment of breast cancer, not only medical treatment but also psychosomatic integrative care will be needed. Patients with breast cancer may lead to increased vulnerability to stress, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, and these psychiatric diseases and conditions are associated with recurrence or exacerbation of breast cancer. Psychosocial treatment of anxiety and depression could increase the quality of life of patients and decrease the recurrence and progression of breast cancer. In this article, we reviewed 5 clinical breast cancer survivorship guidelines focused on psychosomatic integrative care including psychosocial treatment and alternative treatment for psychosocial distress. Because 5 treatment guidelines were using various definitions of evidence, we confirmed evidence of various psychosocial treatments for patients with breast cancer based on the definition of evidence by the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) guideline. We also reviewed the effect size of psychosocial treatment for anxiety, depression, mood, and quality of life in patients with breast cancer. This article discusses the barrier to the delivery of psychosomatic integrative care and suggests integrative care planning for breast cancer. Multi-disciplinary teams, patient's needs assessment, information technology support, patient and caregiver engagement, planned periodic monitoring of psychosocial distress by a psychosomatic specialist or consultation-liaison psychiatrist are recommended as key features of a psychosomatic integrated care plan.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.379-388
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• 2016

This study was aimed at identifying the actual state of workplace violence based on a survey conducted to 876 subway workers in Seoul and determining the relationship between workplace violence and mental health of workers. Data were collected via web site, using a structured questionnaire and for the analysis of the data, a multiple linear regression analysis was carried out by the statistical program SPSS 20.0. According to the results, the perpetrators of violence turned out to be "passengers" in all types of workplace violence: physical violence, verbal violence, sexual harassment and disregard for personality. As for the relationship between workplace violence and the mental health of the workers, statistically significant differences were shown between all the above mentioned workplace violence types and sub-areas of mental health. Also, as for the impact of workplace violence on the mental health of the workers, significant differences were found in physical violence, sexual harassment and disregard for personality, with 8.3 percent of explanatory power. Based on these findings, the study suggests the establishment and the application of customer interaction guidelines to protect subway workers from workplace violence along with specific measures customized for each work environment to prevent violence.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2022

Objectives : This study aimed to examine the moderating effects of reasons for living on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation among psychiatric patients. Methods : Patients were recruited from the department of psychiatry of university hospital. A total of 137 participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing depression (Beck Depression Inventory), suicidal ideation (Ultra-Short Suicidal Ideation Scale) and reasons for living (The Reasons for Living Inventory). Results : Among 4 sub-scales of the reasons for living inventory, survival and coping beliefs, fear of death and social disapproval, and future expectation moderated the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation. Conclusions : The results suggest that the reasons for living can work as a protective factor on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation among psychiatric patients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.268-277
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• 2017

This study was performed to determine the level of physical health(ADL, IADL) and mental health (cognitive impairment, dementia) among centenarians and to find the related factors. The study subjects were 268 centenarians who received medical check-ups from the National Health Insurance Corporation during 2011-2014. From the results, the factors that significantly influenced the ADL of the study subjects were gender, residential area, IADL, cognitive impairment and dementia. ADL and cognitive impairment were selected as the influencing factors of IADL, smoking status, ADL and IADL were selected as the influencing factors of cognitive impairment, and gender and ADL were selected as the influencing factors of dementia. These results suggested that the levels of physical and mental health of the centenarians were significantly affected by socio-demographic characteristics and health-related variables. Especially, the levels of physical and mental health were decreased with the poor group of health-related variables such as smoking, alcohol drinking and regular exercise.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.345-356
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• 2016

This study analysed the relationship between the discrimination that international marriage migrant women experience and various self-reported health indicators. The participants included 545 international marriage migrant women who responded to a self-questionnaire that was handed out to them at multicultural family support centers they attended in the C area. We designed this causal model to examine the relationship between the discrimination that international marriage migrant women feel they experience and their mental and physical health. Results of the study are as follows. First, the fit indices were found to be $x^2$(df)=236.403(76), CFI=.945, RMSEA=.077. These were statistically acceptable levels. In addition, perceived discrimination produces significantly heightened stress and negative effects on mental and physical health among immigrant women. Therefore, discrimination may constitute a risk factor for the health of immigrant women and could be the fact that explains health inequalities among immigrant populations in Korean society. These results suggest the need to find ways to reduce discrimination within Korean society as it becomes a multicultural society rapidly.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.557-570
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• 2017

This study, as a secondary analysis research, bases its source upon on raw data from the on-line survey of the Korean adolescents' health behaviors in 2015. This study was conducted to clarify the relevance of Korean adolescents' smoking with their health behaviors and mental health, and thus further to provide basic sources of effective education for their smoking prevention and for program development. The results of the study showed that Korean adolescents' smoking was significantly affected by the adolescents' sex, grades, school achievements, types of schools, allowances, economic status, parents' educational background (p<0.001). Meanwhile, smoking based on the characteristics of health behaviors was significantly different according to alcohol consuming experience, families' and friends' smoking, physical activity and subjective health status, and BMI (p<0.001). Smoking characterized by mental health showed the significant difference in their stress recognition, subjective sleep patterns, depressed experiences, suicidal ideation, and subjective sense of happiness (p<0.001). Based on all the factors regarding youth smoking, there should be development and provision of educational program for smoking prevention and cessation, including healthy behavior and mental health improvement for Korean adolescent.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2022

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to develop a cognitive-behavioral intervention for college students at high risk for mental health and to investigate its effect on mental health outcomes. Methods : The program was developed to reduce depressive symptoms and adverse outcomes while promoting resilience and positive effects. It consisted of eight sessions in a small group format for eight weeks. Thirty subjects at high risk for mental health participated in the program. Outcomes on the depressive symptoms, resilience, satisfaction with life, negative affect, and positive affect were evaluated at pre-and post-intervention. Results : Depressive symptom scores reduced significantly post-intervention compared to pre-intervention (t=3.51, p=0.002). Resilience scores (t=-3.65, p=0.001) and satisfaction with life scores (t=-3.00, p=0.006) increased after intervention than pre-intervention. Positive affect scores decreased post-intervention (t=2.28, p=0.031). There was no significant difference between pre-and post-intervention negative affect scores (t=-0.94, p=0.356). Conclusions : Present study demonstrated that group-based cognitive-behavioral intervention could be helpful for college students at high risk for mental health to reduce mental health symptoms and improve healthy protective factors.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.168-176
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• 2020

Objectives : Loneliness and poor sleep quality are common phenomena in old age and are associated with negative physical and mental health. However, little is known regarding the relation between loneliness and sleep quality. The aim of this study was to examine the association of loneliness and sleep quality among the elderly living alone. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 1,090 subjects who are the community-residing elderly living alone. Sociodemographic status, medical condition, cognition, mood disorder, sleep quality and levels of loneliness were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and a specific semi-structured interview conducted by trained nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data regarding sociodemographic variable and loneliness. Univariate and Multivariate regression analyses were applied to examine the association between loneliness and sleep quality after adjustment for multiple confounding variables. Results : The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) mean score of "lonely group" (9.2±4.2) was significantly higher than that of "not lonely group" (7.3±3.7) (student-t test, p<0.001). Loneliness was significantly associated with PSQI (standardized β=0.065, p=0.025), sleep disturbance (standardized β=0.086, p=0.005), use of sleep medication (standardized β=0.065, p=0.034) after adjustment for possible confounding variables including sex and mood disorder. Conclusions : Loneliness was associated with sleep disturbance and this finding implied negative impact of loneliness on sleep quality of older adults. Public health promotion efforts to reduce loneliness may improve sleep quality and mental health in the elderly living alone.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2021

Patients complaining with somatic symptoms are very common in clinical practice, and are often consulted to medical department. But it is difficult to treat well. The treatment of somatic symptom disorder is multi-modal as none of the methods on their own provide a satisfactory outcome. The treatment of somatic symptoms disorders is complicated by lack of boundary, conceptual clarity, and overemphasis on psychosocial causation and effectiveness of psychological treatments. In clinical practice all classes of psychotropics are used to treat somatic symptoms disorder. Drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inibitors(SSRI), serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), atypical antipsychotics are studied. The evidence indicates that these drugs are effective in somatic symptom disorders. All classes of antidepressants seem to be effective against somatic symptom disorders. SSRIs are more effective against hypochondriasis and body dysmorphic disorder, and SNRIs appear to be more effective than other antidepressants when pain is predominant. The author suggest that psychiatrists should know how to treat patients complaining with somatic symptoms by using not only psychotherapeutic approach but also pharmacological treatment. It will be helpful to reduce suffering and increase quality of life of these patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2020

Objectives : To identify the relationship between somatization, stress, depression, anxiety, and psychological symptoms risk for nurses working in the intensive care unit. Create clinical evidence of psychosomatic medicine research and complement the meaning of somatization. Methods : Seventy of the mental health checkups conducted by the National Mental Health Center among the nurses using tools including Perceived Stress scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, Patient Health questionnaire-15, Korean Beck Depression Inventory, Korean Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Symptom Checklist-90-Revision. Results : 12.9% of the patients experienced more than moderate somatization. There was no statistical relationship between somatization and psychological stress perception, but feeling of anxiety and decreased self-confidence were related to the level of somatization. The group with severe somatization experienced more depression and anxiety. The group with high physical fatigue also had no statistical relationship with psychological stress perception, but had an effect on the feeling of tension, stress, or decreased control. Physical fatigue level was increased by experience of depression, not by anxiety. For psychological symptoms the higher the level of somatization, the higher the obsession and hostility was explored. In the linear regression model, stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for 39.3% of somatization and 16.1% of physical fatigue symptoms. Conclusions : We can estimate the decrease in stress cognitive symptoms, accompanying depression and anxiety, compulsion and hostility as characteristics of somatization. The causal relationship between somatization and psychological symptoms cannot be confirmed in this study, but the interrelationships are observed, can be referred to mediation strategies.