• Korean Journal of School Psychology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.121-151
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• 2021

This study aimed to identify the factors that helped and hindered secondary school teachers who experienced student suicide using the concept-mapping approach. Seven South Korean middle and high school teachers were interviewed from which 113 core statements were elicited. The participants sorted these core statements into categories by meaning. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis were conducted to identify the underlying structure of the teachers' experiences. Four hindering factor clusters emerged: (1) regret over failing to prevent the suicide, (2) an apathetic atmosphere in the school, (3) a sense of helplessness related to suicide survivors, and (4) approach-avoidance conflicts related to suicide survivors. Six helpful factor clusters emerged: (1) cooperation and care offered between suicide survivors, (2) focusing on the present, busy life, (3) spiritual activity, (4) social support, (5) overcoming grief through altruistic behaviors, and (6) sympathy for the deceased. Two dimensions were found for both the hindering and helpful factors. The hindering factor dimensions were external system-internal experiences and related to suicide survivors-related to suicide decedents. The helpful factor dimensions were distancing from the loss-approaching the loss and professional activities-personal activities. The present study empirically explored and described the underlying structure of teachers' bereavement experiences after student suicides.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.251-260
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of the Body Shape Index (ABSI) with suicide ideation and suicide attempts by controlling the body mass index (BMI), as well as general characteristics that may affect suicide. The study has used The Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2013 to 2015. A total of 13,155 participants were studied, excluding those who had no information on variables that could affect suicidal ideations and suicidal attempts. The chi-squared test and the multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. The results of the analysis showed that those who had obesity in BMI were more likely to commit suicide and suicide than those who were in 'standard' in BMI. In ABSI, Q3 group was more likely to commit suicide than Q1 group. The number of suicide attempt was significantly higher in the group with Q3 in ABSI than in Q1 group (3.623 times (95% CI 1.027-12.772)). The results of this study suggest that a higher ABSI compared to BMI means that it is possible to make a more extreme choice of suicide attempt rather than suicide ideation.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.164-171
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• 2018

Objectives : Depression is a common mental illness and a major cause of suicide. Although serum lipids have been associated with depression and suicide, there has been much debate. In this study, we investigated the relationship between depression, suicide, and serum lipids in patients admitted with depressed mood. Methods : A total of 134 subjects were divided into 86 non-suicide patients and 48 suicide attempters. The serum lipid levels and sub-scores of the Korean Symptom Checklist-95 (KSCL95) were compared. We also investigated the relationship between serum lipids and sub-scores of KSCL95 and investigated whether serum lipids were risk factors for suicide attempts. Results : There was no difference in serum lipids between the two groups. Among the sub-items of KSCL95, obsession was higher in non-suicide group. Triglyceride showed positive correlations with anxiety, phobic anxiety, agoraphobia, schizophrenia, and self-regulation problem. High triglyceride was a risk factor for suicide attempts. Conclusions : Triglyceride is associated with depression, anxiety, and self - regulation, and high serum triglyceride levels may be a risk factor for suicide attempts.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.246-252
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• 2020

This study used the raw data of the 15th (2019) Korean Youth Health Risk Behavior Survey to investigate the risk factors of the health-risk behaviors of Korean multicultural adolescents on the subjective oral symptoms. The scope of the multicultural family was limited to children of immigrant women's families married to Korean men and immigrant male families married to Korean women, and 572 were selected as the final study subjects. The sociodemographic variables were surveyed as gender, grade, economic level, and school performance. The health risk behaviors included drinking, smoking, medication, stress, sleep satisfaction, suicidal thoughts, depression, and brushing before bedtime. The oral symptoms examined were toothache, gum pain, and halitosis. As a result, toothache was related to drinking, toothbrushing before sleep, stress, sleep satisfaction, suicidal thoughts, and depression. Gum pain was associated with drug use, sleep satisfaction, suicidal thoughts, and depression. Halitosis was associated with medication, brushing before sleep, stress, suicidal thoughts, and depression. In terms of health risk factors, drinking, stress, and sleep satisfaction were risk factors for toothache. Smoking, sleep satisfaction, and suicidal thoughts were risk factors for gum pain. The presence of toothbrushing and stress were risk factors for halitosis. In conclusion, a policy system is needed to support oral health education programs nationally at times, such as after-school activities or club activities, to promote oral health for teenagers.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.603-610
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• 2020

This study examined the mental health-related factors of Korean adolescents, especially focusing on the influence of internet use. This study analyzed the raw data from the 14th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2018. The study population was 60,040, with 50.7% male students and 49.3% female students, and 49.7% high school students and 50.3% middle school students. The dependent variables were stress, sadness and despair, suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt. The independent variables were gender and age, health behaviors, and time using the internet. Logistic regression analysis was applied to derive the related factors. For all dependent variables, the main contributing variables were gender, grade, economic status, and academic performance. The mental health of adolescents was related to various factors. In particular, the time using the internet was linearly related to the degree of stress, and a higher student group of time using the internet had a more significant effect on sadness, despair, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal plans. In conclusion, the time using the internet has harmful effects on the mental health of Korean adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.179-195
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• 2010

Media reports of suicides has been found to increase suicide cases that were temporally and spacially proximal to the reports, but the psychological mechanisms, social learning, underlying the negative effects was not directly tested. The present study examined the cognitive processes of social learning that media reports of suicides, especially positive contents toward suicides, might change people's perception, memory, and attitudes toward suicides positively and subsequently increase subsequent suicide intentions and behaviors. Through an internet survey, 300 adults reported their perception, memory, and attitudes toward news reports of suicides, and rated whether the suicides were described positively or negatively in the reports. Finally they reported their suicide intentions and behaviors. The results revealed that people tended to remember more the contents of suicide reports suggested to increase copycat suicides. Also, people were found to have an ironic view to suicide reports of media that they acknowledged the dangers of suicides reports and approached the reports with curiosity. More importantly, the perception of the positive reward that suicides might achieved through suicides was related with positive attitudes toward suicides and behavioral intention to suicides. The present findings was discussed in the social learning understanding of copycat suicides and their implications for suicide-prevention strategies.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2007

Objectives : By comparing the prevalence rates of suicide-related behaviors (suicide ideation, plan and attempt) between depressive disorder and anxiety disorder patients, we tried to find the characteristics of suicide-related behaviors in these patients. Methods : Four hundred-three patients participated in the study and the prevalence rates of suicide-related behaviors were investigated using Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview plus. Pearson Chi-Square test was used to find the association between depressive or anxiety disorders and suiciderelated behaviors. Results : Statistically significant differences were found between depressive disorder group and anxiety disorder group in terms of suicide ideation ($X^2$=6.173, df=1, p=0.013) and suicide attempt ($X^2$=8.008, df=1, p=0.005). We also found that patients in depressive disorder group were more likely to have suicide ideation (Odds Ratio=2.049, 95% Confidence Interval=1.155-3.635), and attempt suicide (Odds Ratio=4.970, 95% Confidence Interval=1.466-16.845) than patients in anxiety disorder group. Conclusion : These findings suggest that suicide ideation and suicide attempt rates are higher in depressive disorders than in anxiety disorders.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.471-479
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between ADHD, depression, anxiety, suicide risk and suicide risk of university freshmen, and to investigate factors affecting suicide risk of university freshmen. As a result, the correlation between suicide risk and ADHD, depression, and anxiety were statistically significant. The correlation between suicide risk and ADHD (r=-.411) was moderately negative, while depression (r=-.594) and anxiety (r=-.563) were high negative correlations. According to the logistic regression analysis, the significant factors affecting suicide risk of college freshmen were ADHD, depression, and anxiety. In the abnormal group of variables, ADHD (OR=3.17; 95% CI 1.36-7.38), depression (OR=10.80; 95% CI 4.32-27.02) and anxiety (OR=3.39; 95% CI 1.55-7.41) were identified as influencing factors. As such, suicide risk groups of college freshmen are highly associated with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, personal counseling and regular psychological tests of college freshmen will be provided to the high-risk suicide program to help students' psychological stability and adjustment to school life.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2010

Objectives：Body image is closely related to self-esteem and weight-control related behaviors. In particular, relationship between two factors would be stronger in female adolescents. False recognition on body image and weight can be a risk factor of eating disorder, depression, and suicidal ideation. This study aimed to examine the effects of body image and eating disorders on developing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in female adolescents. Methods：Two hundred thirty nine students of a Girls' Commercial High School in Seoul were recruited. Eating Attitude Test for Korean Adolescents, Self-Esteem Scales, Impulsiveness Scale, Beck's Depression Inventory and Beck's Suicidal Ideation Scale were used to measure eating attitude and severity of psychiatric symptoms. Results：Among 239 subjects, the estimated risk group of eating disorders was 10%(n=24). They experienced more depressive symptoms than the control group. The bigger discrepancy in current and ideal body mass index was significantly related with higher depressive mood, suicidal idea, abnormal eating habits and lower self-esteem. Discrepancy between current and idea BMI was the most meaningful predictive factor about depression and suicidal thoughts by linear regression analysis. Conclusion：In spite of normal weight range of enrolled subjects, they experienced significant depressive mood, suicide thoughts and lower self-esteem associated with the discrepancy of their own subjective body image and current body mass index. Hence educational approach regarding normal body image and healthy weight control is needed for their mental health and preventing eating disorder.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.611-619
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• 2022

This study utilized the data from 2017, 2019 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey to analyze the factors influencing depression and suicidal ideation among single-person households. For the analysis, demographic and economic variables as well as health status/behavior variables were considered. Activity restriction (OR: 4.753, p-value: <.0001) and smoking status (OR: 2.013, p-value: 0.044) were significantly associated with depression, and in terms of suicidal ideation, household income (OR: 3.526, p-value: 0.043), subjective health status (OR: 2.945, p-value: 0.007), activity restriction (OR: 2.263, p-value: 0.003) and smoking status (OR: 2.000, p-value: 0.023) showed significant association. In this regard, single-person households are likely to experience psychological angst, and further experience mental problems due to socio-economic and physical crisis. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a social network system in the community to detect those in need and provide appropriate interventions to prevent harmful outcomes.