• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.268-278
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• 2020

This study aimed to identify the moderating effect of public health service utilization rate between public health resources and community mental health. The subjects included 144 local communities, from the data of 6th Community Health Plan and the 2015 Community Health Survey. Public health resources were measured by public health budget, public mental health budget and public mental health personnel; and mental health was measured by rate of perceived stress, rate of depressive mood and suicide rate. The hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify the moderating effects. The results were as followed. First, the effect of public mental health budget on rate of depressive mood was moderated by public health service utilization rate. Second, the effect of public mental health personnel on rate of depressive mood was moderated by public health service utilization rate. Third, the effect of public mental health personnel on suicide rate was also moderated by public health service utilization rate. Fourth, the effect of public health resources on mental health differed between the groups with high and low public health service utilization rate. In improving community mental health, the measures to improve the public health service utilization rate should be considered to ensure that reinforcing public health resources leads to the improvement of community mental health.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.5-34
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• 2011

There have been increasing incidents of natural and social disasters that claimed many lives and caused financial calamities worldwide, which call for an attention to mental health issues affecting disaster victims. This study reviewed the findings of the empirical research on the effects of disaster on the victims, the prevalence and determinants of the mental health problems. The disaster tends to disproportionately affect the socio-economically disadvantaged population and their mental health problems and recovery seemed to be heavily influenced by post-disaster experiences such as restoration of physical environment, prospect of economic recovery and resumption of normalcy in their lives, opportunities for participation in decision-making that affect their lives. Such findings suggest that the disaster mental health should shift from its traditional approach that focuses on short-term clinical interventions to alleviate acute mental distress for the victims to a public health approach that involve medical, social and economic interventions as well as community empowerment to prevent chronicity of the mental health problems and to improve the general quality of life of the individuals and the community adversely affected by the disaster. Implications for the social work research, policy making, education and practice were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.257-278
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• 2010

This study examined the factors affecting the preference for the elderly's mental health services utilization in rural areas. A behavior model developed by Andersen and Newman provided an analytical framework to determine the factors affecting service utilization preferences among 335 elderly people as research subjects. The authors found that the preferences for mental health service utilization were significantly related to the level of education, living alone, presence of grandchildren, participation in social activities, and recognition about the services. Based on the findings, this study suggests that more mental health services for the elderly in rural areas be further developed and strengthened. Also, the elderly who lives alone and lives with grandchildren should have a priority in policy consideration. Multiple approaches are suggested to increase the awareness of mental health services and participation social activities for those older people.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.275-285
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• 2019

The purpose of the present study was to investigate perceptions of mental health literacy and mental health services of local public officials in Korea. The participants were 273 civil servants working in three Gangwondo provinces. Data were collected from July 1, 2018 to August 15, 2018 using structured questionnaires, and SPSS Ver. 22.0 was used for data analysis. Results showed mental health literacy of public officials was 101.45 points (range 35-160). Mental health literacy level was found to be significantly dependent on occupation and levels of mental health education, mental health treatment experience, and family mental health treatment experience. Only 39.9% of respondents stated they were aware of mental health welfare centers. The most common condition that caused respondents to seek mental health services was depression (35.9%). In addition, 44.7% of the respondents opined that mental health care was improving due to community changes. An analysis of the relationship between perceptions of mental health welfare centers and mental health literacy scores showed a positive relationship between participant prior knowledge about mental health welfare centers and investment in mental health management (p=.012), suggesting a need for further development of educational programs using mental health nurses to improve mental health literacy among community officials.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.36
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• pp.281-299
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to examine the association between personal, housing, program, and service characteristics and quality of life among persons with severe mental illness living in supported housing. A cross sectional survey of a random sample of 237 clients residing in supported housing in Philadelphia was used to assess the association between personal and environmental characteristics, and quality of life. Data were collected from structured interviews, administrative data, the 2000 U.S. Census data file and the Philadelphia police crime database. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify personal and environment characteristics that are associated with quality of life. Clients with diagnoses of schizophrenia, those with lower levels of psychiatric symptoms, those with higher levels of physical health status, and those with higher levels of perceived supportiveness with staff had higher levels of quality of life. Findings of this study suggested that clients' clinical characteristics and consumer staff relationships can be important variables for understanding quality of life among supported housing residents. Factors associated with quality of life identified in this study may help service providers design and plan services to promote quality of life and stable independent living in the community of supported housing residents.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.577-598
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• 2020

As the socialization of care is progressing rapidly, the necessity of community-level mental health intervention for older adults with severe social isolation and depression is also increasing. In line with the reorganization of the Individualized Support Services for Older Adults in 2020, the social relations revitalization project for the elderly living alone, which had been conducted as a pilot project in 2014~19, was expanded and reorganized into a separate specialized project within the Individualized Support Services for Older Adults. The purpose of this study is to enhance understanding of the specialized service and to clarify its conceptual framework. The characteristics and conceptual framework of the specialized service were examined through a review of the process of institutionalization of the specialized service, which included analysis of related literature and the pilot projects. Finally, it discussed what to consider in order for the specialized service to proceed as intended in the future, focusing on a couple of situations that occur at the fields.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.308-320
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• 2019

This study aims at investigating the major symptoms that help family carers detect mental illness in elderly patients. Another purpose of this study is to empirically verify the major factors determining the utilization of mental health services with a focus on family carers. The results of this study are as follows. First, the most commonly detected symptoms that caused the family carers to suspect mental illness in the elderly patients were memory decline and other forms of cognitive function decline. Second, the determinants of the elderly's utilization of mental health services included the patient's long-term care insurance level, the age of the family carer, the period of care, the level stress associated with the provision of care felt by the carer, his understanding of geriatric mental illness, and the level of perception about community mental health services. Based on these findings, this study suggests policies and practical implications for the early detection of and response to elderly mental health problems and the utilization of related services from the viewpoint of the family carers of the elderly.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.23-80
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• 2018

Since the 1960s, the United States' (U.S.) deinstitutionalization policy has reinstated people with mental illness into communities. Unfortunately, when untreated, some people with psychiatric disorders become homeless, and some commit serious crimes during a psychological crisis. Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), also known as Kendra's Law in New York and Laura's Law in California, provides treatment, services and support to people with mental illness in the community. AOT has repeatedly been found effective and is recognized as an evidence-based practice. The response to the mental health crisis (crisis intervention) in the U.S. has also been successful in preventing worsening mental illness and related criminality and other issues. This paper provides an opportunity to create a platform from which to learn how to successfully apply the AOT and crisis intervention of the U.S. to South Korea within the cultural and societal context when establishing social services for people with mental illness in South Korea's communities.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.592-606
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• 2015

Depression and mental illness across all age groups, and steady increasing in suicide rate are our major social problems which cause dramatically decreasing government competitiveness. While Korean government has implemented various policies to improve mental health and prevent suicide, it faces revealing issues in progress on implementation and referral management systems. The current research examined domestic and foreign cases to understand the actual status and directivity of ICT convergence plan in terms of mental health. The United States and the United Kingdom have provided convergent ICT service, telepsychiatric care to senior citizens in rural areas, children and adolescents, socially disadvantaged class, etc. In Korea, emergency-notice devices are installed to prevent suicide for single elderly people, and diverse mobile health devices are developing to cure depression and Alzheimer's disease. ICT convergent mental health care service is needed to save socioeconomic costs and realize universal welfare for an aging society. Social consensus on sharply conflict issues, medical law and medical devices about telepsychiatry service, effectiveness studies on users' unique psychiatric characteristics by life cycle, and region-specialized strategies for the least densely populated rural regions with lower access to medical care should be considered.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.667-675
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• 2016

The aim of this study is to predict use behavior for social welfare service of the elderly mentally ill through means-end chain theory. Means-end chain theory explains cognitive structure related to the consumer's preference to various products and services. Although the elderly mentally ill begin to emerge as new client population, social welfare services for them do not seem to be enough in the community. Based on this awareness, this study tried to analyse service use behavior of the elderly mentally ill through means-end chain theory to develop new social welfare services. The data were collected from 15 elderly mentally ill and found 5 attributes, 10 consequences, and 11 values. Hierarchical Value Map was composed of 'disease management, rehabilitation preparation, hobby leisure ${\rightarrow}$ health maintenance, energy of life ${\rightarrow}$ social reintegration, life satisfaction, harmonious family life'. To activate the social service for the elderly mentally ill, it should be developed various programs such as disease management, rehabilitation preparation, hobby leisure for the elderly mentally ill. The ultimate value of these programs will be improve life satisfaction and integrated into society.