• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.79-86
• /
• 1999

A comprison was made regarding perceived family support among patients with somatoform disorders, psychosomatic disorders and depressive disorders. The subjects included 49 patients with somatoform disorders, 43 patients with psychosomatic disorders, and 50 patients with depressive disorders. Perceived social support-family scale was used to measure the extent of family support. The patients with somatoform disorders were significantly lower in family support than the patients with psychosomatic disorders. However, no significant differences were found between patients with somatoform disorders and those with depressive disorders, as well as between patients with psychosomatic disorders and those with depressive disorders. Patients with older age had significantly higher scores on family support than those with younger age. Married patients were significantly higher in family support than unmarried ones. These results suggest that low family support may be associated with either the etiology or the sequelae of somatization. Thus, it is emphasized that the role of family support is essential in evaluation and treatment of somatization. In addition, longitudinal studies will be required to investigate the causative role of low family support in somatization.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.203-212
• /
• 1999

Objectives : "Alexithymia" mean literally "no word for mood(or emotion)". It is not only a marked constriction in emotional functioning but a deficit in their cognitive processing. We designed this study to investigate the level of alexithymia, psychopathology and personality factors of patients with somatoform disorder and with diabetes mellitus. Methods : The subjects were consisted of patients with somatoform disorder(N=20), patients with diabetes mellitus(N=20), and normal control(N=20). The level of alexithymia, psychopathology and personality factors were assessed by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale(TAS), the Symptom Checklist 90-Revision(SCL 90-R), and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire(16-PF). And we compared demographic characteristics, psychopathology and personality factors among three groups, and assessed the relationship between alexithymia and psychopathology, and between alexithymia and personality factors. Results : The results were as follows. 1) Patients with somatoform disorder showed significantly higher TAS scores compared to patients with diabetes mellitus and the normal control group. 2) Patients With somatoform disorder showed significantly higher scores of somatization, anxiety scales than patients with diabetes mellitus and the normal control group, and showed significantly higher scores of obsessive-compulsive, depression, phobic anxiety, psychoticism scales than the normal control group by the SCL-90-R. 3) The normal control group showed high intelligence scores only as compared to patients with somatoform disorder by the 16-PF. 4) A significant relationship was found between TAS scores and psychopathology in patients with somatoform disorder. 5) All three groups did not shown any correlation between TAS and 16-PF. Conclusion : Patients with somatoform disorder showed higher TAS scores and more multiple psychopathology than patients with diabetes mellitus and the normal controls. A significant relationship was found between TAS scores and psychopathology in patients with somatoform disorder. We suggest that the therapeutic approach to patients with somatoform disorder to express emotions and manage psychopathology, and that the treatment methods of patients with diabetes mellitus aims to improve firstly physical conditions are more helpful.

• 월간산업보건
• /
• s.225
• /
• pp.67-71
• /
• 2007

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.277-285
• /
• 1996

Somatoform disorders do occur among children and adolescents. Among the seven disorders under the grouping of somatoform disorders of DSM-IV, three disorders, namely somatization disorder, pain disorder and conversion disorder are seen relatively more often than one can expect in childhood and adolescence. Pain disorders are more prevalent among children before adolescence, whereas conversion disorder and somatoform disorder are seen more often during adolescence and early adulthood. Diagnoses of somatofram disorders should not be made by the process of exclusion, but based on positive findings that positive evidence that normal functioning is possible and that a positive history of psychosocial stress and or intrapsychic conflict exists. Treatment strategy should be mindful of including collaboration with primary care health professionals and family therapy staff in addition to all the basic treatment modalities essential for the treatment of children and adolescents.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
• /
• 2006.10a
• /
• pp.475-478
• /
• 2006

실감형 게임은 사람의 신체 움직임 및 오감을 최대한 반영한 리얼리티를 추구하는 전문적인 게임이다. 현재 개발된 실감형 게임들은 비 장애우를 대상으로 만들어 졌기 때문에 많은 움직임을 필요로 한다. 하지만 신체적 불편함을 가진 장애우들은 이러한 게임들을 이용하는데 어려움이 있다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 PC상에서 최소의 얼굴 움직임을 사용하여 수행할 수 있는 실감형 게임 시스템을 제안한다. 제안된 실감형 게임 시스템은 웹 카메라로부터 얻어진 영상에서 신경망 기반의 텍스쳐 분류기를 이용하여 눈 영역을 추출한다. 추출된 눈 영역은 Mean-shift 알고리즘을 이용하여 실시간으로 추적되어지고, 그 결과로 마우스의 움직임이 제어된다. 구현된 flash게임과 연동하여 게임을 눈의 움직임으로 제어 할 수 있다. 제안된 시스템의 효율성을 검증하기 위하여 장애우와 비 장애우로 분류하여 성능을 평가 하였다. 그 결과 제안된 시스템이 보다 편리하고 친숙하게 신체 장애우 에게 활용 될 수 있으며 복잡한 환경에서도 확실한 얼굴 추적을 통하여 실감형 게임 시스템을 실행 할 수 있음이 증명되었다.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.76-85
• /
• 2004

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the emotional state and personality characteristics of patient with panic disorder. Methods: Twenty patients with panic disorder, 21 patients with somatoform disorder, and 20 normal healthy controls were studied. Korean version of Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) and Korean standardized edition of Cattell's 16 Personality Factors Questionnaire(16-PF) were used for assessment. Statistically, One-way ANOVA with Scheffe test were used by SPSS/PC for windows. Results: 1) Total score of BDI was higher in the panic group than the somatoform group and normal control group(p<0.001). 2) Total score of state anxiety and trait anxiety in the panic group was higher than the somatoform group and normal control group(p<0.001). 3) In 16 PF, there were no definitely abnormal range of scores. But in first-stratum source traits of 16PF, the panic group was higher than the somatoform group and normal healthy group in O-factor (p<0.01) and Q4-factor(p<0.001). In second-stratum source traits of 16PF, the panic group was higher than the somatoform group in ANX-factor(p<0.05), but lower than normal control group in TOUfactor(p<0.05). 4) There were no differences in the panic subgroup according to sex and cutoff points of BDI score 16 and STAI-T score 54. 5) According to cutoff point of STAI-S score 52, the panic subgroup above 52 was higher than the panic subgroup under 52 in G-factor(p<0.001), Q3-factor(p<0.05) and SUP-factor(p<0.001), but lower in L-factor(p<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that emotional state of patients with panic disorder are depressive and anxious as compared with patients with somatoform disorder and normal controls. Patients with panic disorder did not show any abnormal personality characteristics but were more guilt-prone, anxious, emotionally sensitive. We propose that the understanding of panic patients' emotional state and personality characteristics will helpful to treat and manage in patient with panic disorder.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.185-194
• /
• 1997

A comparison was made regarding illness behavior among patients with somatoform disorders, depressive disorders and psychosomatic disorders. The subjects consisted of out-patients with somatoform disorders(N=52), depressive disorders(N=52) and psychosomatic disorders(N=51). illness behavior was assessed by illness Behavior Assessment Schedule and the questionnaire about help-seeking behavior. The patients with somatoform disorders and psychosomatic disorders more often affirmed the presence of somatic disease, were more likely to have phobia of disease, had more preoccupation with ideas of disease and more frequently shopped around oriental clinics than the patients with depressive disorders. The patients with somatoform disorders more often attributed its cause to physical factors, less often attributed the origin of affective disturbance to psychological causes, showed Less depression and irritability, and were less likely to accept psychiatric treatment recommended by other physicians than depressive patients. The patients with somatoform disorders were more likely to report having been told that they suffered from a mild illness than those with psychosomatic disorders. The patients with somatoform disorders with psychological problems tended to inhibit expression of their emotion. Female patients with somatoform disorders more often affirmed the presence of psychological disorder and attributed its cause to psychological factors than male ones. These results suggest that in illness behavior, patients with somatoform disorders are different from depressive patients, whereas the former patients are similar to psychosomatic patients except the discrepancy between therapists and patients regarding evaluation of their symptoms. Thus, it is emphasized that first, therapists need to approach patients with somatoform disorders somatically with understanding of their underlying need to deny psychological problems, followed by either psychological or biopsychosocial approach.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.176-184
• /
• 1997

Abnormal illness behavior in patients with somatoform disorders were known formed by their traditional disease concepts and somatization-prone socio-cultural factors. The authors evaluated the characteristics of abnormal illness behavior in patients with somatoform disorders(who had somatization) by using abnormal illness behavior questionnaire. Methods : 29 somatoform disorders(SD) and 57 disease controls were compared by clinical characteristics, severity of pain, state anxiety(by Spielberger's State & Trait Anxiety Inventory), depression(by Beck's Depression Inventory) and level of psychosocial stess(by DSM-III-R). The illness behavior was measured by illness Behavior Questionnaire(IBQ). Results SD group had longer period of somatic symptoms with less severity in pain. The degree of anxiety and depression were higher in SB compared with controls. However, the degree of psychosocial stress was almost same between both groups. In IBQ, SD showed higher scores in general hypochondriasis, disease conviction, and affective disturbance subscales compared to control group. Conclusion: High disease conviction and hypochondriacal nature revealed by IBQ seemed to be a role in making somatization by way of somatic focusing and hypervigilance. And those tended to lead patients visit hospital frequently and report various somatic complaints. Evaluating abnormal illness behavior in somatoform disorders would be not only helpful in understanding the natures of somatoform disorders but also useful differentiating SD with other psychiatric conditions.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.78-91
• /
• 2002

Objective : The purpose of this study was to develop the somatization rating scale (SRS), and then to use the scale in clinical pracitice. Methods: First, a preliminary survey was conducted for 109 healthy adults to obtain 40 response items. Second, a preliminary questionnaire was completed by 215 healthy subjects. Third, a comparison was made regarding somatization responses among 242 patients (71 with anxiety disorder. 73 with depressive disorder, 47 with somatoform disorder, and 51 with psychosomatic disorder) and 215 healthy subjects. Results : Factor analysis yielded 5 subscales : cardiorespiratory and nervous responses, somatic sensitivity, gastrointestinal responses, general somatic responses, genitourinary, eye and muscular responses. Reliability was computed by administering the SRS to 62 healthy subjects during a 2-week interval. Test-retest reliability for 5 subscales and the total score was significantly high, ranging between .86-.94. Internal consistency was computed, and Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ for 5 subscales ranged between .72-.92, and .95 for the total score. Convergent validity was computed by correlating the 5 subscales and the total score with the total score of the global assessment of recent stress (GARS) scale, the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ), and the symptom checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R). The correlations were all at significant levels. Discriminant validity was computed by comparing the total score and the 5 subscale scores of the patient and control groups. Significant differences were found for 5 subscales and the total score. Only the depressive disorder group was siginificantly higher than control group in all the subscale scores and total scores of SRS among 4 patient groups. In somatic sensitivity, only depressive disorder patients were significantly higher than the normal controls, whereas in general somatic subscale, depressive disorder and somatoform disorder groups were significantly higher than the normal controls. In total scores of the SRS, female subjects were significantly higher than males. Conclusion : These results indicate that the SRS is highly reliable and valid, and that it can be utilized as an effective measure for research in stress- and somatization-related fields. The depressive disorder and somatoform disorder groups showed more widespread somatization than the anxiety and psychosomatic disorder groups.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.22-27
• /
• 1998

Thirteen female patients of somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder and somatoform disorder, NOS, diagnosed by DSM-IV were studied for their pain threshold and serum testosterone and the results were compared with the respective data of 20 control females. The results are as follows : 1) The pain threshold as measured by Variable Weight Pressure Algometer was significantly lower in the patient group(153.8${\pm}$39.5 gm/$0.05mm^2$) as compared to the control group(197.5${\pm}$66.7 gm/$0.05mm^2$)(p<0.05). 2) There was no significant difference of serum testosterone between the patient(0.175${\pm}$0.081 ng/ml) and the control(0.174${\pm}$0.108 ng/ml) groups. 3) A significant positive correlation was noted between the pain threshold and serum testosterone in the patient group(r=0.632, p<0.05, two tailed, Pearson's correlation test), but not in the normal control group(r= -0.405). From these results, it was suggested that the role of testosterone in endogenous pain control system might be more important in somatoform disorders than normals.