• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.232-241
• /
• 1997

The psychological problems following the experiences of school-violence could be more important than the physical problems. Victims could suffer from fear, depression, anger, lowered self-esteem, suicidal thought, and personality changes. To study the risk factors for school violence and the psychiatric problems after the experiences to school-violence provide us important informations to prevent and solve the problems of school violence. We examined clinical characteristics and psychosocial backgrounds of 13 adolescents who visited the psychiatric clinic after exposures to school violence from September, 1996 to May, 1997. The clinical data included intensity, motivations, durations, and methods of violence, psychiatric symptoms following exposure, findings of psychological test, and treatment course. The socioeconomic data included developmental characteristics of subjects, family characteristics, school life, and peer relationships. Of the 13 adolescents who experienced exposure to violence, 8 have experienced chronic psychiatric disturbances, 5 experienced transient psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, suicidal attempt who eventually returned to home and school life. Of the 8 adolescents who experienced chronic psychiatric disturbances, 4 experienced PTSD and depression lasting 3-6 months more, otherwise 4 showed converted features, such as aggressive behavioral disorder or perpetrator by strong compensatory effects after psychological shock. The subjects who have experienced chronic psychiatric disturbance have clinical characteristics such as physical or emotional abuse, physical illness or handicap, defects of ego functionings, and lack of family support. In summary, victims by school-violence manifested serious psychiatric disturbances, and they had clinically significant risk factors and some of them became perpetrators of school-violence.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.61-74
• /
• 2004

Objectives：This study was performed to introduce a psychoeducational family therapy model for the families of schizophrenic patient and to investigate the effect of this model on the changes in coping style and depressive symptoms of the family members, and in perception of emotional support by families and depressive symptoms of patients. Methods：Nine preschool children, 3-5 years old, experiencing physical injuries caused by attack from a psychotic patient at kindergarten, were evaluated for psychological assessments；Intelligence test, MSSB(MacArthur Story-Stem Battery), H-T-P test(House-Tree-Person test). And their parents completed rating scale, KPI-C(Korean Personality Inventory for Children about children’s psychological conditions). Results：With respects to the contents and emotional reactions of MSSB, 9 preschool children showed generally high levels of anxiety, depression, avoidance, aggression, probably related to the traumatic experiences. Even though children couldn't verbally report directly about their traumatic experiences, in both MSSB, structured play narrative assessment tool, and HPT, free drawing and association test, they demonstrated psychiatric problems through reenactment plays, regardless of clinical diagnoses. Conclusion：Present study allowed us the chance to see beyond the outer pathological behaviors of PTSD in preschool children, through deeper evaluations of their mental representation. These preliminary data suggest deep understanding of internal representation would be of help for thorough evaluations and treatment plan for preschool children, experiencing severe trauma.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2003

Objectives: This paper introduces need and supply level of rural mental health care service and especially focuses on the evaluation for the community mental health programs of Public Health Centers(PHCs) in rural areas as the facilities for primary mental health care. Methods: We defined the need as prevalance rate and service utilization rate, for which reviewed the results of the epidemiological study of mental disorders using Korean Composite International Diagnostic Interview surveyed on a nationwide scale in 2001. Supply was appraised in terms of psychiatric beds and primary mental heath care facilities such as private psychiatric clinics, facilities for social rehabilitation, PHCs running community mental health programs. For this, we reveiwed a variety of annual reports related mental health published by Ministry of Health and Welfare. To evaluate the community mental health programs of PHCs in rural areas, we selected. randomly samples out of the 3rd community health plans including the contents of community mental health programs, which submitted by 89 rural counties and 44 cities mixed with rural areas, and used the program's guideline established by central government as a standard. Results: Prevalence rates of major psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, alcoholism, major depression, anxiety disorder were higher in rural area than in urban area and 8.9% of psychiatric patients in both areas stayed at homes contacted with mental health manpower more than one time during the last year. Psychiatric beds were sufficiently supplied, but urban area had less beds than rural area contrary to general health care service. Psychiatric clinics were supplied very insufficiently in rural areas and PHCs bridged the gap instead. However rural PHCs got less financial support for community mental health programs from higher positioned agencies than urban PHCs. Rural community health programs not supported hardly worked out. Conclusions: Central government should consider a special policy for rural primary mental health care, because private psychiatric clinics can't be introduced in rural areas due to demand-deficiency and the financial independence of rural counties was very vulnerable.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.411-418
• /
• 2007

Exposure to low frequency noise(LFN) can lead to vibroacoustic diseases(VADs), which include a systemic disease with lesions in a broad spectrum of organs and a psychiatric condition. It is known that VAD is an established risk factor for the development of many psychological conditions in humans and rodents, including major depression and anxiety disorder. The present study investigated the effects of LFN on neuronal stress responses in the rat brain. The neuronal expression of the proto-oncogene c-fos in the paraventricular nucleus(PVN) of the hypothalamus and tyrosine hydroxylase(TH) in the LC was observed. The immunocytochemical detection of the Fos protein and TH has been used as a marker of neuronal activation in response to stress. In addition, corticosterone concentration was evaluated by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The LFN groups were exposed to 32.5Hz and 125Hz of noise(4hr/day for 2days). The numbers of c-fos and TH-immunoreactive cells in the PVN and LC were significantly increased in the LFN groups(32.5Hz and 125Hz) compared to the normal group. Corticosterone concentration in plasma was also increased in LFN groups. The present results demonstrated that exposure with LFN produced a pronounced increase in expression of c-Fos and TH in stress-relevant brain areas. These results suggest that the neural characteristics involved in LFN are similar to those activated by typical processive stressors. These results also suggest that the central and peripheral activations by LFN may be related to LFN-related negative behavioral dysfunctions such as VADs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 1998

Hwabyung is a common emotional disorder which has symptoms expressed like firt's explosion in middle-aged after long period of emotional suppression among Koreans. It is similar in its characteristics such as neurosis, anxiety, panic attacks in Western Medicine, though the treatment method was not effective. So we have done a clinical research on Oriental Medical Method, especially on Acupuncture Therapy, and obtained following results. 1. Patients with Hwabyung complained of pressure pain around the Chunjung(?中, CV-17) point distinctively. About 70% of those were located on the CV-17 point, 25% were 1cm upper than the CV-17 point and 5% of those were 1cm lower point than the CV-17 point. 2. Degrees of pressure pain were divided into 5 grades from ade 1(feeling pain with slight pressure) to grade 5(feeling no pain with severe pressure), respectively. 3. Patients with Hwabyung showed various symptoms compared to fire's explosion such as anger, chest discomfort, difficulty in breathing. tachycardia. and feeling of epigasfric mass etc., and the degrees were divided into 5 grades according to the severities from grade 1(can't keep their usual living) to grade 5(no complaints with heavy stresses), respectively. 4. For the treatment of Hwabyung in this study, we had given Acupuncture therapy on some points such as Chunjung:?中:CV-17, Jungwan:中脘:CV-12) and Chunchu:天樞:S-25, etc. for 15 minutes a time twice a week. And Bunshimkiumgmnihang(分心氣飮加味方) was administered 3 times a day. 5. About 40% of the patients took treatment for more than 2 months, 29% of those took 1 to 2 months and 31% of those took less than 1 month. In this study, we excluded those who stopped treatment within a month without any expected effects. 6. We evaluated the changes of severity of pain according to the following categories such as - for no change, + for 1 grade, ++ for 2 grades, +++ for 3 grades, and ++++ for 4 grades of improvements. Among the patients taken 1 to 2 months of treatment. 48% of the those showed +, 7% of those showed ++, 3% of those showed +++ and 41% of those showed no change. Among the patients taken less than 2 months of treatment, 20%of those showed +, 40% of those showed ++, 28% of those showed +++ and 13% of those showed no change. 7. We evaluate the changes of symptoms according to the following categories such as - for no change, + for 1 grade, ++ for 2 grades, +++ for 3 grades and +++ for 4 grades of improvements. Among the patients taken 1 to 2 months of treatment, 34% of those showed +, 14% of those showed ++ and 52% of those showed no change. Among the patients taken more than 2 months of treatment, 20% of those showed +, 43% of those showed 20% of those showed +++, 3% of those showed +++ and 15% of those showed no change. 8. When we compare the changes of pain and symptoms according to the periods of treatment, the changes in quantity of pain in 1 to 2 months group was $0.72{\pm}0.75$, in more than 2 months group was $1.83{\pm}0.98$, and the changes in quantity of symptoms in 1 to 2 months group was $0.62{\pm}0.73$, in more than 2 months group was $1.75{\pm}1.03$. According to the above results, we have concluded that more than 2 months of treatment is more beneficial than 1 to 2 months of treatment.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.71-79
• /
• 1998

Objectives : This study was to evaluate sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness resulting from rotating shiftwork. The authors, also, tried to find out the relationship between the severity of daytime sleepiness and personality factors. Methods : The subjects consisted of 41 female rotating shiftwork nurses and the control group consisted of 39 female day timeworkers. All of them completed the Sleep questionnaire of Korea University Sleep Disorder Clinic, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS), the 16 Personality Factors(16PF), the Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI). Multiple regression analysis of 16PF of the rotating shiftwork nurses was done to find out possible predictors of the severity of daytime sleepiness. Results : The mean duration of deprived sleep due to rotating shiftwork was $64.26\;{\pm}\;14.54\;min$. The frequency of sleep difficulty($1.24\;{\pm}\;1.17\;day/week$ vs $0.67\;{\pm}\;1.31\;day/week$, p < 0.05), time needed to fall asleep($103.05\;{\pm}\;73.48\;min$. vs $70.00\;{\pm}\;60.08\;min$, p < 0.05), sleep duration when having some difficulties in sleep ($204.25\;{\pm}\;79.90\;min$. vs $280.44\;{\pm}\;111.59\;min$., p < 0.001), recent changes in energy($x^2\;=\;4.16$, p < 0.05), worrying about sleep($x^2\;=\;11.08$, p < 0.05), and taking naps($x^2\;=\;4.98$, p < 0.05) showed significant differences between rotating shiftworkers and normal controls. The ESS socre of shiftworkers ($8.68\;{\pm}\;3.04$) was greater than that of normal controls ($6.86\;{\pm}\;3.04$)(p < 0.01). Personality factors such as C factor($R^2\;=0.283$), I factor($R^2\;=0.358$) and G factor($R^2\;=0.470$) were related with the severity of the daytime sleepiness(p < 0.001). Conclusions : The rotating shiftwork nurses had more difficulties in sleep such as having difficulties in falling asleep and in maintaining sleep, and showed lowered energy, decreased senses of well-being and so on. The rotating shiftwork nurses experienced more severe daytime sleepiness than controls did. Personality factors, such as C factor, I factor, and G factor of 16PF were suggested to be useful for predicting the severity of daytime sleepiness resulting from rotating shiftwork.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.146-156
• /
• 2016

Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between vasomotor symptoms and factors such as sociodemographics, health behaviors, medical condition, depression, stress, anxiety, attitude toward menopause, and quality of life. Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional study in peri- and post-menopausal women enrolled by the Korean Association of Health Promotion. Subjects submitted self-report questionnaires about vasomotor symptoms and other clinical symptoms. Associations between vasomotor symptoms and clinical variables were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression analyses. Results : 1951 women completed self-report questionnaires and 1022 women were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of vasomotor symptoms in peri- and post-menopausal women was 63.9%. Variables showing significant differences between subjects with vasomotor symptoms and subjects without them were score of Beck Depression Inventory, Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument-Korean Version, proportions of clinically significant depression(Beck Depression Inventory ${\geq}16$), Menopausal rating scale, attitude towards menopause, the 4 subscales of World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF(Physical health, psychological, social relationships, environment), and a History of Premenstrual syndrome/Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that Beck Depression Inventory, Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument-Korean Version, Menopausal Rating Scale, and the Psychological subscale of World Health Organization Quality of Life -BREF show associations with vasomotor symptoms. Conclusions : Menopausal vasomotor symptoms are associated with various psychological factors, especially with depression. Midlife women suffering vasomotor symptoms should therefore be screened for depression. Future prospective studies where clinical subjects are diagnosed using structured interviews, focusing on the causal relationship between depression and vasomotor symptoms are necessary.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.93-111
• /
• 1996

The purpose of the study is to identify the lived experience of mothers who have children with cerebral palsy in order to understand their agony. Moreover, the result of study was to find some nursing intervention for disabled children and their mothers. For this purpose, ten mothers who are willing to cooperate with this research were selected at random from those who have children with the cerebral palsy, currently using the municipal facilities for the handicapped with cerebral malfunction. Data collection was done from October 4, 1994 th December 31, 1994. The data were collected by asking the mothers mentioned above with some unstructured open-ended questions, recorded on the tapes with permission by the interviewee in order to prevent missing of the interviewed contents. These collected data have been substantiated and properly analyzed on the basis of phenomenological approach initiated by Colaizzi's method. The results and validity are proved to be credible by means of the individual checking of the interviewed mothers. The results of this study are as follows : 1. When the mother is first informed of the diagnosis of cerebral palsy on her child, she usually misses the crucial timing needed for proper treatment of the child's disorder because she is notified through the doctor's indifference and his apparently inactive, matter-of-fact attitude. At first she suspects the doctor's diagnosis and tries to attribute it to the unknown cause from a certain genetic problem and then she quickly wants to deny the whole situation that her child is really suffering from the cerebral palsy. The reality is too much for her to accept as it is and she would not believe her child is abnormal. Therefore, she even attempts depend on the power of God for its solution. 2. The mother, who goes thorough this kind of uncommon experiences, is totally devoted to the treatment and care of the child and completely ignores her own life and happiness. At the same time, she feels sorry for her other normal children she believes having not enough care and concern. Also, she feels sorry for the sick child when the child's brothers or sisters show special concern for the patient out of sympathy. It is sorry and not satisfied for her that the child is growing with abnormality and neighbor other around have inappropriate attitudes. Likewise, she is discontent with her husband's lack of concern about the child's treatment. She believes that the health care system in this society isn't fulfilling its due purpose. In the state of her utmost distress and anxiety, she always feels the need of competent consultants, and is angry about that her child is treated as an abnormal being, she is trying to hide the child from other people and to make him or her disappear, if possible. Although she doesn't have harmonious relation with her husband, she id happy when he shows his affection for the child and she feels relieved and thankful when the relatives don't mention about the child's condition Since the child's overall status of health is continuously in unstable conditions, requiring her all-time readiness for an emergency, she feels guilty of her child's illness toward the fEmily members as if it was her own fault to have borne such an abnormal child and she feels responsible for the child morally and financially if necessary Because her life is centered on taking care of the child, she cannot afford to enjoy her own life and happiness. She is a lonely mother, fatigued, with no proper relationship with other people around her. With this sense of guilt and responsibility as a mother of an unusual disease, she has no choice but to grieve her destiny from which she is not allowed to escape. 3. Nevertheless, the mother with the child suffering from the cerebral palsy does not easily give up the hope of getting her child cured and she believes that in the long run, though slower than hoped, her abnormal son or daughter will be eventually cured to become a normal sibling someday. This kind of hope is sustained by the mother's strong faith coming from observing the progress of other similar children getting better. Sometimes she is encouraged to have this faith by other mothers who share the same painful experiences, believing that her child will improve even more rapidly than others with the same palsy. Full of hope, she painstakingly waits for the child's healing. Moreover, she plans to have another child. she thinks that the patient child's brothers and sisters only can truly understand and look after the patients. However, when she notices that the progress of other children under the treatment does not look so hopeful, she is distressed by the thoughts that her child may never get well. Too, she is worried that the patient's brother or sister will be born as the same invalid with the cerebral disease. She is discouraged to have another baby as much as she is encouraged to. She is also troubled by the thought that in case she has another baby, she will have to be forced. to neglect the patient child, especially when she does have an extra hand or some reliable person to help her with taking care of the patient.