• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.169-179
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• 2009

This study aims to present a fundamental data base to figure out the mental and the physical conditions that the dental technicians are facing and ultimately to develop a health care program to deal with their health related problems. To this end, we took an analysis on the health status among the subjects of 895 dental technicians currently working at the dental lab around the nation from January 15 to March 31, 2009 by way or Todai Health Index(THI). Of the average scale point in accordance with 12 scale scores of the physical and the mental subjective symptom, the results revealed that the physical appeals (21.10) were higher than the mental appeals (18.49) and the multiple subjective symptom was marked as 38.44 followed by the mental irritability (25.92). In gender differences, the females proved to be higher than the males in both physical appeals and mental appeals while the physical appeals were dominant in both genders. The physical appeals were higher than the mental appeals with regard to the general characteristics. In the case or the group or age twenties as shown in the physical and mental average scale point, the other groups showed 21.55% of the physical appeals among the married whereas the mental appeals showed the highest point as 18.70 in the unmarried group. In job position, the other groups marked the highest, in working condition, below average group marked the highest, in frequency of break time, none group marked the highest. We drew a conclusion form this study that the dental technicians gained the higher points in the item or the multiple subjective symptom, the menial irritability, and the irregular life. More research on th is phenomena should be followed along with the development of various and practical health care programs to promote the health or dental technicians.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2002

Objective : Previous studies have suggested an association between sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) and several psychological problems, and there were increasing recognition of the link. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristic profiles of MMPI and SCL-90-R in patients with SRBD. Methods : This study consisted of 80 SRBD patients(73 men, 7 women) referred from Sleep Disorder Clinic of Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Korea. Basic informations including demographic findings and physical examination were collected. Subjects completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI), and Symptom Check List-90-Revision (SCL-90-R) prior to standard overnight polysomnography that was performed at hospital sleep laboratory. SRBD was divided into two groups of primary snoring(PS) and obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) according to polysomnographic findings. Results : SRBD showed significant elevation rate of Hs, D, and Hy scales of MMPI and SOM scale of SCL-90-R, which exceeded the rate expected in normal individuals(>5%, 2SD). On comparison of clinical scales of SCL-90-R, OSA group had significantly greater mean score than that of PS group in terms of O-C, DEP, PAR, GSI(p<0.05), SOM and PST(p<0.01). OSA group also showed significantly higher elevation rate in Hs scale of MMPI and SOM scale of SCL-90-R than that of PS. Among OSA group, three scales of MMPI(D, Pt, Si) and three scales of SCL-90-R(ANX, PAR, PSDI) had significant correlation with some PSG variables including total sleep time and sleep efficiency. Among PS group, two scales of MMPI(Hy and Pt), elevation rate of MMPI scales and three scales of SCL-90-R(I-S, PAR, PSDI) had significant correlation with some PSG variables including sleep efficiency, sleep latency and REM sleep percent. Conclusion : The above results suggest that SRBD show neurotic profiles in MMPI and SCL-90-R. This study also clearly indicates that PS group are suffered from clinically meaningful psychiatric symptoms, which are quantitatively lessened but qualitatively similar as compared to that of OSA group.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.103-109
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• 2000

The authors identified a treatment-resistant patient with chronic fatigue syndrome, characterized by chronic fatigue, headache, unrefreshing sleep. Some studies reported that chronic fatigue syndrome was associated with affective disorder, especially seasonal affective disorder and many studies reported that bright light therapy was effective in seasonal affective disorder. But efficacy of light therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome was rarely reported. We treated the patient with morning light treatment using 2500lux light box, the clinical symptoms in this case were improved. The authors suggest that the light therapy can be a treatment modality for chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2011

The abnormalities in Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis are associated with many psychiatric symptoms including depression. We present a report of a 71 year old man who was admitted to the psychiatric department presenting symptoms of headache, avolition, loss of energy, psychomotor retardation, poor appetite, insomnia, anxiety resulting from adrenal insufficiency and hypopituitarism. Hypothyroidism and electrolyte disturbance were managed and headache, insomnia, anxiety, GI symptoms were improved. But he remained in anergic state. After discharge, he was readmitted to infection department with high fever and drowsy mentality. Adrenal insufficiency was recognized and he was treated with corticosteroid replacement therapy. Finally his diagnosis was made as panhypopituitarism and overall symptoms were resolved. In this case, we showed how the atypical symptoms resulting from hypopituitarism develop and progress. Hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and growth hormone deficiency resulting secondarily from panhypopituitarism were associated with various nonspecific symptoms such as loss of energy, fatigue, insomnia, weight loss, decreased appetite etc. In clinical situation, differential diagnosis with depression is needed when clinicians were met a patient with these nonspecific symptoms. It is important that laboratory tests and differential diagnosis with endocrine diseases should be conducted, especially in geriatric patients with nonspecific symptoms like anergia, fatigue, poor appetite and so on.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2003

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of cognitve function among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder according to severity of symptoms. Methods: The subjects were 90 psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with posttraumatic stress disorer(by DSM-IV criteria) after traffic accident. The severity of symptoms was assessed by MMPI subscales; depression, psychasthenia, schizophrenia. The impairment of cognitive function was assessed by Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale(K-WAIS). Based on scores of the MMPI subscales, the patients were divided into high group(above 70 percentile) and low group(below 30 percentile). We estimated the difference of the K-WAIS score and subtest score in the low group and high group of the MMPI subscales by indedpendent t-test. Results: The scores of high group is significantly higher in the subtests of information, vocabulary, similarity, picture completion, and picture arrangement than the low group for psychasthenia subscale of MMPI. And the score of high group is significantly higher in full scale I.Q., verbal I.Q., performance I.Q., verbal subscales except digit span and simiarity, and performance subscales than low group for schiozphrenia subscale of MMPI. Conclusion: It was found cognitive function was more impaired in the group of PTSD with severe symptom compared to the group of PTSD with mild symptoms. We suggest that psychiatrist should consider various cognitive approaches as well as pharmacotherapy in the management of PTSD.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.529-546
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• 2009

Depression in old age not only is prevalent but also causes a considerable amount of burden in physical, psychosocial, and economic terms. Intervention, however, is often delayed due to the understanding that considers depressive symptoms as a normal process of aging or signs of physical illnesses. Since the recognition of symptoms often initiate one's help seeking process, a correct identification of symptoms can contribute to early detection and intervention to depression in oneself as well as in others. This study interviewed 104 older adults living in an urban area, and explored their ability to correctly identify depressive symptoms and factors related to identification. The study results show that respondents who were able to correctly identify symptoms of depression were only 14%, and the rest defined the symptoms as social, economic, and other psychological issues. Of the factors in the logistic regression model, age being 75 and over and mass media as source of mental health information affected negatively their ability to correctly identify symptoms; mental health education programs affected positively their ability. Based on these results, it is suggested that such strategies as employing a face-to-face provision of concrete information and counseling can be more effective than delivering information via large-scale lectures. Additionally, a future research deems necessary to conduct an in-depth examination of mental health/illness-related contents on mass media.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of depressive patients who admitted to general hospital. We examined the clinical characteristics of patients who were referred to the Department of Psychiatry as depressive symptoms, according to the type of consultation request, and comparing 'with re-consultation' and 'without re-consultation' groups. Methods : We performed a retrospective chart review of 4,966 inpatients who were referred to the Department of Psychiatry from August 2005 to December 2011. Results : For about 6 years, among the inpatients referred for psychiatric consultation, a total of 647 patients were referred for depressive symptoms, accounting for 13.82% of the total consultations. The average age of depressive patients was 58.6 years, which was higher than the average of 56.4 years of overall patients. Among the depressive patients, 275 patients were included in 'with re-consultation' group and there was no statistically significant difference when comparing 'with re-consultation' group and 'without re-consultation' group. However, there was a difference in the tendency of the two groups in the type of consultation request. 'With re-consultation' group was in the order of frequency of consultation type 3-2-1, whereas the 'without re-consultation' group was in the order of frequency of consultation type 2-3-1. Conclusions : The group of inpatients who were referred for depressive symptoms in general hospital showed the largest proportion of the group of patients referred to the Department of Psychiatry. 'With re-consultation' group had a higher rate of re-consultation due to the occurrence of new symptoms after hospitalization compared to 'without re-consultation' group. Therefore, doctors in each department and psychiatrists should pay attention to the depressive symptoms of inpatients and actively discuss treatment plans to improve the quality of medical services, identify risk factors, and make efforts to intervene early if necessary.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.8 no.8
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• pp.196-205
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of participation in jazz dance to body image and mental health in an attempt to make a contribution to the spread of jazz dance. The subjects in this study were 183 people who were selected by purposive sampling from a population of Seoul and Gyeonggi province residents who were at the Western age of 18 and up. The selected people took general education courses at colleges, attended cultural centers or fitness clubs, or learned dance for all. One instrument used in this study to assess their body image was Jourard and Secord(1954)'s Body Cathexis Scale, which was modified into six factors and 39 items. The other was Kim Gwang-il, et. al.(1978)'s 46-item inventory, which translated Rickles and Rock(l976)'s SCL-90 with 90 items to suit Korean circumstances. That inventory was modified into 31 items and four factors. For data handling, factor analysis, reliability analysis, regression analysis and path analysis were utilized. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. The extent of jazz dance participation had an impact on their body image. Those who performed jazz dance more frequency had a better image about their health and the lower part of the body. 2. The level of jazz dance participation exerted an influence on their mental health. A longer participation term led to more interpersonal sensitivity, and a higher participation frequency was followed by more somatization. 3. Concerning the causal relationship of participation in jazz dance to body image and mental health, the participation frequency affected health, the image of the lower part of the body and somatization in the firsthand manner, and the image of the lower part of the body had a firsthand impact on interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, anxiety and depression. Accordingly, the image of the lower part of the body played a crucial role as a parameter in the relationship between the jazz dance participation frequency and mental health.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.186-197
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• 2000

This study evaluated the improvement of autistic symptoms during the 4-7 year follow-up in autistic children. Fifty subjects(44 males and 6 females whose age ranged between one to 13 years) diagnosed with DSM-III-R autistic disorder were included in this study. Their autistic symptoms were assessed with DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria of autistic disorder(grouped as A, B and C which include 5, 6 and 5 items respectively). The mean of follow-up duration was 6.4${\pm}$1.1 years. Symptoms between baseline and follow-up were examined according to treatment types, age, sex, IQ and physical problems of them were identified. There were statistically significant decreases of symptom items at follow-up as a whole and A, B and C, respectively. The most symptom decrease occurred in communication and followed social interaction, and activities and interests at follow-up assessment. Symptom items that decreased more than 50% at follow-up evaluation include A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, and C1, C3. Groups with special education only and combined treatment of special education and seizure pharmacotherapy showed better improvement of symptoms than the group with psychiatric pharmacotherapy with special education. Age was a significant factors in the improvement of symptoms. The author concluded that some autistic children improved with aging, therefore they should be treated actively with special education, pharmacothrapy and other scientific methods.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.115-129
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• 1999

To find the influence of family support degree on the depression of the elderly in a rural area, a questionnaire survey was made toward 163 persons who were more than 65 years old and living in a township at Chollanamdo province from January 1st to February 20th, 1998. The major findings are as follows : 1. By simple analysis significantly associated variables with depression score were residence, adequacy of pocket money, health consciousness, drinking alcohol, smoking, score of activity of daily living(ADL), score of instrumental activities of daily living(IADL), and degree of family support among female respondents(p<0.05). 2. To find the influence of family support on the depression score excluding other associated variables, multiple regression analysis was made and it was found that family support was associated significantly with affective, somatic, psychomotor and psychological domain of depression score among male, and somatic, psychomotor and psychological domain among female(p<0.05). The above finding suggest that family support degree is an important factor to be associated with the depression of the elderly in the rural area. So to deal with the depression of rural elderly, how to make close relation among family members must be considered.