• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.234-243
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• 2006

Objectives : Several factors, such as biological markers, clinical correlates, and course of the depressive disorders with psychotic symptoms differ from those without psychotic symptoms. Therefore, specification of a treatment algorithm for depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms is legitimated. This article provides a systematic review of somatic treatments for depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms. Methods : According to the search strategy of the Clinical Research Center for Depression of Korean Health 21 R & D Project, first, PubMed and EMBASE were searched using terms with regard to the treatment of depressive disorders with psychotic symptoms(until July 2006). Reference lists of related reviews and studies were searched. In addition, relevant practice guidelines were searched using PubMed. All identified clinical literatures were reviewed and summarized in a narrative manner. Results : Treatment options, such as a combination of an antidepressant and an antipsychotic versus an antidepressant or an antipsychotic alone are summarized. In addition, issues regarding the electroconvulsive therapy( ECT), combination therapy, and maintenance treatment are discussed. Conclusion : In former times, the combination of an antidepressant and an antipsychotic or ECT were recommended as the first line treatment for depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms. Recently, however, there was a suggestion that there was no conclusive evidence that the combination of an antidepressant and an antipsychotic drug is more effective than an antidepressant alone. More evidence regarding the pharmacological treatment for depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.209-220
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to find out the characteristics of depressive episode about major depression and bipolar disorder in child and adolescent. The subjects of this study were 34 major depression patients and 17 bipolar disorder patients hospitalized at child and adolescent psychiatry in OO university children's hospital from 1st March 1993 to 31st October 1999. The method of this study is to review socio-demographic characteristics, diagnostic classification, chief problems and symptoms at admission, frequency of symptoms, maternal pregnancy problem history, childhood developmental history, coexisting psychiatric disorders, family psychopathology and family history and therapeutic response through their chart. 1) The ratio of male was higher than that of female in major depressive disorder while they are similar in manic episode, bipolar disorder. 2) Average onset age of bipolar disorder was 14 years 1 month and it was 12 years 8 months in the case of major depression As a result, average onset age of major depression is lower than that of bipolar disorder. 3) The patients complained of vegetative symptoms than somatic symptoms in both bipolar disorder and depressive disorder. Also, the cases of major depression developed more suicide idea symptom while the case of bipolar disorder developed more aggressive symptoms. In the respect of psychotic symptoms, delusion was more frequently shown in major depression, but halucination was more often shown in bipolar disorder. 4) Anxiety disorder coexisted most frequently in two groups. And there coexisted symptoms such as somartoform disorder, mental retardation and personality disorder in both cases. 5) The influence of family loading was remarkable in both cases. Above all, the development of major depression had to do with child abuse history and inappropriate care of family. It is apparent that there are distinctive differences between major depression and bipolar disorder in child and adolescent through the study, just as in adult cases. Therefore the differences of clinical characteristics between two disorders is founded in coexisting disorders and clinical symptoms including onset age, somatic symptoms and vegetative symptoms.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.124-143
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• 2000

Objectives：The primary purpose of this study is to understand the psychopathology of the victims of school violence in terms of early psychosis. By doing this, the early detection of psychosis among the victims is possible, and early detection may lead to early intervention. Methods：Two-thousand and nine-hundred seventy two students from 16 middle schools in Seoul were asked to fill out questionnaire comprised of popularity and intellectual and school status of Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Inventory, Symptom Check List-90-Revised, and Ostracism Scale. The subjects whose scores upon Ostracism Scale were higher than average by two standard deviation were labeled as ‘Repelled and Isolated group', and subjects whose scores on popularity were significantly lower than average and whose scores on psychoticism of SCL-90-R were higher than average were defined as 'tentative early psychosis group'. Odds ratios were calculated from the numbers of subjects with and without high psychoticism scores and high ostracism scores. On the subjects of 'tentative early psychotic group', we examined every clinical characteristic and conducted correlation analysis and regression analysis in order to find out the risk factors and to construct theoretical model that explains the psychoticism scores. Results：The results were as follows：1) Total 157(5.3%) subjects were rated significantly higher on ostracism scale, and among them, 47 subjects(29.9%) were rated significantly higher than average on psychoticism scale, while only 50 subjects among 2,135 students who were rated within normal range showed significantly higher score on psychoticism scale. Odds ratio for psychotic group of isolated group were 17.82 and it was statistically significant. 2) Forty-seven subjects(31 boys, 16 girls) who were rated as they were unpopular and rejected from peers had significantly higher psychoticism scores. They were not significantly different from simply high psychoticism subjects in anxiety, social anhedonia scale, magical thinking, obsessivecompulsive symptoms, phobic anxiety, psychoticism, somatization, but showed higher ostracism scores and paranoid tendencies. Among school violence victims, who rated themselves unpopular and showed higher psychoticism scores, the psychoticism scores were mainly explained by anxiety, depression, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, paranoid tendency, somatization scales($r^2=0.93$). Conclusion：Thus, it can be concluded that the subjects with higher ostracism score have the substantially high risk for psychosis development. By these results, we propose that school violence victims with anxiety, depression, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, paranoid tendency, somatization should be tested individually considering school adjustment, attentional deficit, concept formation problems.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.118-122
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• 1997

We experienced a case of 51-year-old female patient who showed symptoms of persecutory delusion, auditory hallucination and hallucinatory behavior, severe insomnia, psychomotor retardation and social withdrawal, along with some clinical signs of the deficiency of various hormones those gradually progressed after massive postpartum vaginal bleeding 13 years ago. She was admitted to a psychiatric ward under the impression of psychotic depression. However careful history taking and evaluation of clinical feature gave rise to the possibility of underlying medical condition. Laboratory work-up revealed panhypopituitarism, hypoglycemia and hyponatremia. After replacement of thyroid hormone and cortisol for 1 week, her clinical symptoms including psychiatric symptoms were improved. Taken together, these findings were compatible with the diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome. On reporting this case, we would like to emphasize again the importance of differential diagnosis of medical problems causing psychiatric symptoms those are easily neglected in the clinical approach toward psychiatric patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.95-109
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• 2017

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique which can change cortical excitability in targeted area by producing magnetic field pulses with an electromagnetic coil. rTMS treatment has been used to treat various neuropsychiatric disorders including depression. In this review, we evaluate the literature on rTMS for depression by assessing its efficacy on different subtypes of depression and different technical parameters. In particular, we focus on the results of randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses for depression after the US Food and Drug Administration approval in 2008, which acknowledged its efficacy and acceptability. We also review the new forms of rTMS therapy including deep TMS, theta-burst stimulation, and magnetic seizure therapy (MST) that have been under recent investigation. High frequency rTMS over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), low frequency rTMS over right DLPFC, or bilateral rTMS is shown to be effective and acceptable in treatment for patients with non-psychotic, unipolar depression either as monotherapy or adjuvant. Deep TMS, theta-burst stimulation and MST are promising new TMS techniques which warrant further research.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2012

Objective : Psychiatry in North Korea is believed to seem very different from psychiatry in South Korea. However, there is nearly no information regarding psychiatry in North Korea until now. Our study aimed to get information about North Korean psychiatry. Methods : Three North Korean defectors in South Korea, whose clinical experience as medical doctors in North Korea was over 10 years, were recruited. They underwent the semi-structured interview, content of which included the clinical experience with psychiatric patients, the details of psychiatry, the treatment of psychiatric patients, the stigma of mental illness, and the suicide, in North Korea. Results : In North Korea, psychiatric department was called as 49th(pronounced as Sahsip-gu-ho in Korean). Only patients with vivid psychotic symptoms came to psychiatric department. Non-psychotic depression or anxiety disorders usually were not dealt in psychiatry. The etiology of mental illness seemed to be confined to biological factors including genetic predisposition. Psychosocial or psychodynamic factors as etiology of mental illness appeared to be ignored. Psychiatry was apparently separated from political or ideological issues. The mainstay of psychiatric treatment is the inpatient admission and out-of-date therapy such as insulin coma therapy. Stigma over mental illness was common in North Korea. Suicide is considered as a betrayal to his/her nation, and has been reported to be very rare. Conclusion : The situation of psychiatry in North Korea is largely different from that of South Korea. Although some aspects of North Korean psychiatry are similar to psychiatry in former socialist countries, North Korean psychiatry is considered to have also its unique characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2015

Objectives : This study examined the characteristics and differences of PAI(Personality Assessment Inventory) profile between compensation-seeking(CS) and treatment-seeking(TS) patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI) and assessed the clinical meaning of the characteristics and differences of profiles between the two groups. Methods : 36 TBI patients who visited the Wonkwang University Hospital were selected. The patients were categorized as compensation-seeking TBI patients(n=22) and treatment-seeking TBI patients(n=14). The PAI scales and subscales were used to compare differences between two groups. t-verification for each variable and comparison analysis were performed. Results:In validity scales, CS group showed significantly higher NIM scores and lower PIM scores than TS groups. In full scales, CS group showed significantly higher SOM, ANX, ARD, DEP, and SCZ scores than TS group. In subscales, CS group showed significantly higher SOM-S, ANX-A, ARD-P, DEP(-C, A, P), (MAN-I), PAR-H, SCZ(-T, P), BOR(-A, N), and ANT-S scores than TS groups. In supplementary scales, CS group showed significantly higher SUI, NON and AGG-P, and lower RXR scores than TS group. Conclusions:There were significant differences in PAI scales with validity scales, some full and subscales according to compensation seeking status in TBI patients. The CS patients tended to exaggerate their symptoms on PAI, and showed higher scores representing somatic preoccupation and emotional distress. These results show the usefulness of PAI in reflecting the significant psychological differences between two groups.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.150-165
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic factors of postpsychotic depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients were selected based on the diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV, PANSS and ESRS. For all patients information was collected on demographic and clinical characteristics. The subjective depressive symptoms and the objective depressive symptoms, as well as patients insight regarding psychosis were evaluated. The subjective depressive symptoms were evaluated by BDI and ZDS; the objective depressive symptoms were evaluated by HDRS and CDSS, and patient insight into the psychosis was evaluated by KISP. Results: The comparisons using demographic and clinical characteristics showed that HDRS and CDSS had significant difference with regard to gender and suicide attempts; the BDI was associated with difference in education level and age of onset. The patients with scores above cuff-off score for each scale were 20(25.0%) for the BDI, 16(20.0%) for the ZDS, 18(22.5%) for the CDSS and 6(7.5%) for the HDRS. The results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the scores for the KISP, education levels, gender and suicide attempts were the main prognostic factors in patients with the psychotic depressive disorder of schizophrenia. Conclusion: The main prognostic factors in psychotic depressive disorder of schizophrenia included: insight into psychosis, suicidal attempts. Insight into the psychosis was the most reliable prognostic factor but this characteristic had a negative relationship to the with depressive symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 2001

Stress has been linked to the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of various psychiatric illnesses. Over the past few years, our understanding of the brain and neuroendocrine systems that are linked to stress responses has increased enormously. This article reviews a series of animal and human studies to understand what are the central pathways by which stress is perceived, processed, and transduced into a neuroendocrine response. We focus on the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(LHPA) axis and several neurotransmitter systems such as norepinephrine, CRF, serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine. LHPA stress circuit is a complex system with multiple control mechanisms which are altered in pathological states. CRF and related peptides in the central nervous system appear to enhance behavioral responses to stressors. Norepinephrine systems are also activated by stressors and cause the release of catecholamines from the autonomic nervous system. CRF-norepinephrine interaction makes a feed-forward system which may be important for an organism to mobilize not only the pituitary system but also the central nervous system, in response to environmental challenges. The interactions among several neurotransmitters and endocrine systems appear to play key roles in mediating various behavioral and psychological stress responses involving abnormal responses to stressors such as anxiety and affective disorders.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.489-497
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• 2002

This study was conducted to determine if Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire could be effectively applied in predicting obesity and eating disorders among Korean college students by examining the correlations between eating-related characteristics and anthropometry, nutrient intakes, psychological aspects of depression, and personality dimensions. The data were collected from 151 female students in classes of nutrition or psychology in Kyungnam University. Measurements of height, weight and triceps skinfold thickness (TSf) were made by well-trained interviewers, and BMI was calculated. Daily nutrient intakes were obtained from the self-reported three-day dietary records for the kinds and the amounts of foods consumed by the student subjects. The students were also asked to complete three questionnaires : Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Berk Depression Inventory. The results of the study were as follows : 1) Reliability of factored homogeneous item dimensions (FHIDS) of the translated version of the eating-related characteristics questionnaire showed a similar profile compared with the original. Moreover, the loading values of Cronbach-$\alpha$ for some FHIDs, which were excluded in order to constitute primary-level factors (for example, 'predisposition to obesity' etc) with a high reliability, were much lower than Mehrabian's. Therefore the eating-related characteristics questionnaire could be effectively used for Korean students for predicting predisposition to obesity and eating disorders. 2) With regard to the relationship between anthropometric indices and eating-related characteristics, BMI measurements showed a high and a positive correlation with 'predisposition to obesity' and 'uncontrollable urges to eat', and a negative correlation with a 'predisposition to anorexia'. The heavier body weight and the more fat mass that the subjects had, the higher the probability that the subjects were overeating. 3) The intakes of some minerals (Fe, K, Na) and Vitamin C showed significantly negative correlations with a 'predisposition to obesity' and a 'predisposition to anorexia'. But the intakes of vitamin B$_2$, niacin, and retinol were positively correlated with'uncontrollable urges to eat'. 4) Among personality dimensions, neuroticism had a positive correlation with a 'predisposition to obesity', 'uncontrollable urges to eat', and 'predisposition to anorexia'. 5) Neuroticism was negatively correlated with intakes of calories, carbohydrates, K, Fe, Vitamin C, etc. On the contrary, all personality dimensions were positively correlated with intakes of retinol. In conclusion, the translated version of Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire appears to be effective for nutritional or psychological assessments of any predisposition to eating disorders among Korean college students.