• Mood & Emotion
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2011

Purpose : Anxiety disorder and depressive disorder are often comorbid with each other, and the comorbidity is associated with poorer psychiatric outcome, resistance to treatment, increased risk for suicide, greater chance for recurrence. We aimed to investigate the comorbidity of anxiety disorder in Korea. Method : Subjects were total of 867 depressed patients recruited CRESCEND-K multicenter trial. We used SCID (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM - IV) to find comorbidity of anxiety disorders in depressed patient. Results : Of 867 patients, total 8.2% had anxiety disorder. Proportion of anxiety disorder Not Otherwise Specified was 3.5%, panic disorder was 1.7%, generalized anxiety disorder was 1.1%, post traumatic stress disorder was 0.9%, obsessive compulsive disorder was 0.6%, social phobia was 0.4%. Conclusion : In this study, anxiety disorder in depression were measured at a low comorbidity rate in compare to previous studies. Selection bias, use of antidepressants at registration, severity of depression symptoms, and point of SICD administration seems to have affected these results. It is probable that comorbidity evaluation would be more precise if shorter, structured interviews such as M. I.N.I.-Plus were used during first clinical interview for depression diagnosis.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2006

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate difference of the alexithymia between panic patients and normal controls by examination of the relationships between different components of the alexithymia construct and level of anxiety and depression in panic patients and normal controls. Methods The subjects were 167 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder and 110 normal controls. They drew up symptom checklists and self-rating scales, and were measured by Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Panic attack & Agoraphobia(ADIS-P & A), Korean version of Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20K), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State & Trait (STAI-S & T), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Revised Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-R). For statistical analysis, we performed t-test to compare the sociodemographic characteristics and the scores of self reported scales between panic patients and normal controls. Pearson correlation was performed between TAS-20K and it's subfactors, STAI-S & T, ASI-R and BDI in panic patients and normal controls. And stepwise multiple regression analysis was preformed to explain results of correlation analysis for alexithymia. Results: The panic patients reported more significant alexithymic (p<0.001), more difficulty identifying feeling (p<0.001) and describing feeling (p=0.001) than normal controls. Futhermore, panic patients were more significant anxious, sensitive to anxious feeling and depressive than normal controls. Moreover, the alexithymia of panic patients was explained by trait-anxiety $({\Delta}R^2=0.255)$ and anxiety sensitivity $({\Delta}R^2=0.062)$, that of normal controls was predicted by depression $({\Delta}R^2=0.144)$ and anxiety sensitivity $({\Delta}R^2=0.033)$ Conclusion: The panic patients reported more anxious and sensitive to anxious feeling, and these symptoms predict alexithymia in panic patients. However, the alexithymia of normal controls was explained by depression more than anxiety sensitivity, and such a result isn't consistent with previous studies and this may be mainly due to difference of the homogeneity in object of the studies.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2001

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of psychometric analysis among patients with Post-traumatic organic mental disorder according to the lesion of MRI finding of traumatic brain injury. Methods : We divided 35 patients into 4 groups according to the lesion of MRI finding of brain injury. We evaluated the difference of the subscales of MMPI and K-WAIS among 4 groups with Post-traumatic organic mental disorder by ANOVA. Results : We found no significant difference of all subscales of MMPI and K -WAIS among 4 groups by ANOVA. Compared Rt hemispheric injury group with Lt hemispheric injury group by independent t-test, the depression scale in MMPI scored significantly higher in Lt hemispheric injury group, and the block design in K-WAIS scored significantly lower in Rt hemispheric injury group. Conclusion : This study suggests that Lt hemispheric injury be significantly related to depression, and Rt hemispheric injury be significantly related to visuospatial ability.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 1997

Dementia is defined as a syndrome which is characterized by various impairments in cognitive functions, especially memory function. Most of the diagnostic criteria for dementia include memory impairment as on essential feature. Memory decline can be present as a consequence of the aging process. But it does not cause significant distress or impairment in social and occupational functionings while dementiadoes. Depression may also be associated with memory impairment. However, unlike dementia, depression dose not cause decrease in delayed verbal learning and recognition memory. In dementia, different features of memory impairment may be present depending on the involved area. Memory impairment in cortical dementia is affected by the disturbance of encoding of information and memory consolidation, while memory imparnene in subcortical denentiy is affected by the disturbance of retrieval in subcortical dementia.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.256-262
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• 2001

Objective：The enlargement of the lateral ventricle is well established finding in adult-onset schizophrenia, but in the patients with early-onset psychotic disorder(EOPD) is still controversal. To identify structural abnormalities of the lateral ventricle in patients with EOPD and difference of the brain developmental course in EOPD group, planimetrical assessment of the lateral ventricle was conducted by means of retrospective quantitative neuroimaging. Methods：The brain MR images of 14 patients with EOPD(mean age $14.0{\pm}2.1$ years) who met the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and 24 control subjects with simple headache(mean age $10.0{\pm}2.1$ years) were collected. Single best view for the lateral ventricle, one axial slice was selected for analysis. MR images were redigitalized with flatbed scanner and data were analyzed with NIH IMAGE software. Results：In the patients with EOPD, there were significant correlations between aging and lateral ventricular sizes and between aging and ventricular brain ratio(VBR). The statistical significance of normal asymmetry of the lateral ventricle was not observed for the EOPD group. The EOPD group had larger lateral ventricular sizes and VBR than control group, but these results were not statistically significant. Conclusion：These findings suggest that the brain abnormalities in patients with EOPD progress from the earlier course of the disorders and the course of brain development in EOPD group is different from control group.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.12-27
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• 1994

Until recently there were arguments on the existence and the definition of childhood depression. In DSM-III(1980) childhood depression was accepted as the formal psychiatric disorder in childhood. As the diagnostic criteria for childhood depression is less clearly defined than those for other psychiatric disorders as well as prominent age-related variations in depression symptomatology, informations from various sources are very important in accurate diagnosis of childhood depression. Present study reviewed various assessment methods such as self-report questionnaires, interviews, behavior rating scales, structured tests and projective techniques with discussion on the merits and limitations of each method. Also several issues on the reliability and the validity of assessment techniques for childhood depression were discussed.

• 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.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.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 1991

The College entrance examination stress syndrome is a kind of anxiety disorder. The underlying cause of this disorder is not a test anxiety itself. One's hidden inner and familial conflicts are more likely attributed to this disorder. Patient's the most common complaints are various psychosomatic symptoms but in severe cases underlying psychopathology may be activated and progress to major psychosis. In a broad sense adolescent's delinguent behavior, drug abuse, school drop-out and sucide are closely related to this syndrome. In clinical management of these patients, considering the special situation of impending examination, the therapist must access to central conflict theme in a short time without severe resistance. The authors classified this syndrome into 5 clinical subtypes ; 'the anxious group', 'the exhaustion group', 'the despair group', 'the emptyness group' and 'the boredome group'. Typical case of each subtype and it's management methods were presented briefly.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 1997

Enuresis is repeated involuntary or intentional voiding of urine into bed or clothes over age 5. Though it would be a self-remitting disorder, it could be serious problem in emotional and socio-adaptational aspects. The author reviewed the enuretic patients of Child & Adolescence psychiatric section in Chungnam National University Hospital during past 3 years. 46(4.9%) of 936 patients were diagnosed as enuresis in DSM-Ⅳ. The author evaluated their comorbidity by the data of diagnostic review made in two psychiatrists, and emotional aspects(self-concept, anxiety, depression) through the self-rating scales (Piers-Harris children’ self concept scales, RCMAS, state-trait anxiety inventory for children, child’s depresson inventory). Thirty(65.2%) of the 46 enuretic patients had additional diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder, mental retardation, encopresis, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, autism, somatoform disorder, tic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sleep disorder, etc. Sixteen enuretic patients had at least one comorbid disorder. Eleven patients had two, and three patients had more than three. Fourteen of 46 enuretic patients were evaluated through self-rating scales of self-concept, anxiety and depression. But we couldn’t obtain meaningful results. Maybe it was due to the small sample size(N＝14) and the influence of the comorbid disorders. Finally, it was an impressive evidence that there exist many comorbid disorders in enuresis(esp. attention deifict/hyperactive disorder). In emotional aspects, the author thought that further evaluation should be needed for more meaningful results.