• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.53-59
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• 2017

Reliable and valid diagnostic screening tools in the primary care setting enable accurate estimation of depression in individuals at risk or in need of treatment, and provide patients with an opportunity to receive optimal treatments. Although there have been extensive studies on screening tools for depression used in domestic mental health settings, there is little consideration and lack of a thorough review of the diagnostic validity of screening tools. In the current review, we selected 13 representative screening tools for depression which were evaluated in a total of 19 validation studies conducted in Korea. We summarized DSM-5 target domains, diagnostic indices, sensitivity, specificity, cut-off scores, and diagnostic validity information for each tool. Finally, the depression measurement expert group was constituted to evaluate the current status of screening tools for depression, and their recommendations for a new screening tool were summarized. This study was conducted as part of the Mental Health Technology Development project to develop the Korean screening tool for depression (K-DEP).

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.129-147
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• 2013

The primary focus of the study assesses how individual spouses' and their partners' marital adjustment influence their own and their mental health. The study also examines whether this influence was mediated by the relationship with their adult-children. Data were collected from 271 dyads of elderly couples by using a self-report questionnaire. Marital adjustment was measured in terms of intimacy and comparison level of marriage. Mental health was measured in terms of depressive mood, anxiety, and somatization. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) analysis revealed that marital adjustment was positively associated with one's own mental health and with one's own relationship with their adult-children, but not with their partner's. On the other hand, the relationship with adult-children was positively associated with one's own and with their partner's mental health. Furthermore, analysis of the mediating model using APIM indicated that marital adjustment through one's own adult-children relationship had direct and indirect effects on one's own mental health. It is interesting to note that the wives' mental health were directly influenced by their partners' relationship with adult-children. However, the effect of the husbands' mental health was not significant. These findings highlight dyadic interdependence among spouses' perceptions of marital and adult-children relationship with their mental health. The results suggest implications for educators and clinicians working with elderly couples to improve their psychological and relational health.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2009

Objectives : Serum and plasma BDNF levels have been shown to be decreased in patients with mood disorder such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. We investigated whether platelet BDNF levels would be lower in patients with acute bipolar manic episode compared with those of normal controls. Methods : BDNF levels were examined in platelet-rich plasma(PRP) and platelet-poor plasma(PPP) in 20 healthy controls and 20 hospitalized patients who were diagnosed as bipolar I disorder, most recent episode manic using a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. And severity of manic symptoms was measured using Young Mania Rating Scale(YMRS). Platelet BDNF level was calculated by subtracting PPP BDNF from PRP BDNF level, and dividing the result by the total platelet count, and it was expressed as pg/$10^6$ platelet. Results : Platelet BDNF levels were significantly lower in patients with acute bipolar manic episode(4.55${\pm}$3.36pg/$10^6$ platelet) than in normal controls(6.84${\pm}$2.32pg/$10^6$ platelet)(p=0.008). However we failed to reveal the significant negative correlation between platelet BDNF levels and YMRS scores in patients with acute bipolar episode. Conclusion : Our finding suggests that there is a decrease in the platelet BDNF of patients with acute bipolar manic episode.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.120-128
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• 2015

Objectives : The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a commonly used psychological test measuring personality and psychopathology in both clinical and non-clinical population. This study was to evaluate characteristic MMPI-2 profile associated with the risk of suicide among college students. Methods : We analyzed the survey response of 2,964 college students who participated in a health survey from a school health center at a national university in 2011. Those who endorsed any of six items on the suicidaity module of MINI were classified as a suicide risk group and remaining students who did not as a control group. Then we compared the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score, the MMPI-2 Clinical scales and Restructured Clinical (RC) scales. To evaluate the correlation RC scales with suicidality score, Pearson correlation analysis was performed. Results : The suicide risk group was 464 students, and the control group was 2,500. The classification result of suicidality, 255 (8.6%) students were low-risk group, 149 (4.8%) students were moderate-risk group and 60 (2.0%) students were high-risk group. In the suicide risk group, VRIN, F scale, Clinical scale and RC scales were significantly higher. In the control group L, K and S scales were significantly higher. Suicidality score has significant correlation with all RC scales. Conclusion : In the suicide risk group, overall psychopathology was higher than the control group. Taken together, features of depressive symptom, antisocial behavior, aggressiveness, introversion may indicate the risk of suicide in college students. These results display both clinical and public health implications for clinicians and school health professionals.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.288-294
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to assess anger of middle school adolescents in an urban community using State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI)-Korean and Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), and to determine whether specific anger expression of adolescents is associated with certain psychopathology including depression. Methods : Data were collected from 395 middle school students and their parents in Incheon city. The students completed the STAXI, Children's Depression Inventory, Korean version of Mood disorder Questionnaire, and Conners-Wells' Adolescent Self-Report Scale (Short Form), and their parents completed the K-CBCL. Results : No significant correlation was observed between aggression subscale K-CBCL and each scale of the STAXI, except anger out (r=0.704). The scores for STAXI total and respective scales were significantly higher for female students than male students. A stepwise logistic regression model was used to explore the possible predictors for depression in adolescents and lower anger control and higher anger suppression were found to be predictors for depression in adolescence. Conclusion : There is a possibility of a large discrepancy between anger that the adolescents actually feel and parents' judgment of their children's anger. It must be considered in assessment of adolescent anger and use of further structured interviews is necessary. In addition, it may be useful to consider the anger expression style in adolescents who report depressive symptoms.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2015

Objective : To translate Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) into North Korean language and to examine its reliability and validity Methods : North Korean defectors (n=207) recruited from the call center for North Korean defectors participated. Psychiatrists and psychiatric residents interviewed the participants and made the psychiatric diagnoses. Subsequently, the participants completed the CES-D, Impact of Event-Scale-Revised-North Korea (IES-R-NK), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-North Korea (AUDIT-NK), and Brief Psychological State Inventory for North Korean Refugees (BPSI-NKR) questionnaires. Of the original participants, 143 subjects participated in test-retest reliability study after one week. Results : Cronbach's alpha coefficient of CES-D-NK was superior in both males (0.91) and females (0.93). The test-retest correlation coefficient was high (males, 0.64 ; femals, 0.79). Good convergent validity was evident by significant correlations with IER-R-NK, BPSI-NKR-Depression and BPSI-NKR-PTSD, respectively. CES-D-NK had no or weak correlations with AUDIT-NK and BPSI-NKR-Alcohol, showing its discriminant validity. Conclusion : CES-D-NK could be a reliable and valid tool for screening and assessing depressive symptoms of North Korean defectors.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.120-124
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• 2009

Objectives : This pilot study examined the physical and psychological sequela of Korean War victims. Methods : Of 255 elderly who completed the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), we selected 16 subjects who suffered severe traumatic experiences during the Korean War and met more than 2 specified symptoms of PTSD in DSM-IV-TR and 16 controls. Demographic characteristics, medical history including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and brain infarction, Geriatric Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, suicide scale in MINI, and a scale for the assessment of somatic symptoms were compared between subjects with trauma experience and controls. Results : Subjects with trauma experience were more likely to have brain infarction and diabetes mellitus compared to control group. Depressive symptoms and suicidal risk were significantly higher in subjects with trauma experience than controls. Subjects with trauma experience showed significantly higher scores in Trait Anxiety scale and more complained of pain than controls. Conclusion : This study suggests that traumatic experience probably induce physical and psychological problem even 60 years later. Further studies are needed to confirm the results of this pilot study.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.195-205
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors that influence health-related quality of life in older adults with osteoarthritis. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design with secondary analysis of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011. A total of 362 participants aged 65 years and older who had osteoarthritis were selected. Health-related quality of life using EQ-5D, perceived health status, body mass index, numbers of chronic illness, smoking and alcohol use, exercise, activity limitation, joint pain and stiffness, depression, and perceived stress were measured. Descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression were conducted with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: The mean score of EQ-5D was 0.77 in older adults with osteoarthritis. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that age, income, subjective health status, restriction of activity, knee joint stiffness, depressive mood, and perceived stress significantly predicted health-related quality of life in older adults with osteoarthritis, explaining 42% of the variance. Conclusion: Older adults with osteoarthritis have low health-related quality of life. In oder to improve health-related quality of life in older adults with osteoarthritis, it is important not only to enhance physical function but also to provide emotional support.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2014

Reactive disorder is a group of diagnosis with a definitely known etiology and whose etiological factor is essential to the diagnosis. In DSM system, such reactive disorders are listed as adjustment disorder, acute stress disorder, brief psychotic disorder with marked stressor and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, a growing number of individuals is suffering from a prolonged feeling of embitterment after exceptional negative life events and this condition could be diagnosed neither PTSD nor adjustment disorder nor depressive disorder in the context of DSM-IV diagnostic system. This clinical condition can be described as 'posttraumatic embitterment disorder' (PTED). PTED is a reactive disorder triggered by exceptional, though normal negative life events such as conflict in the workplace, unemployment, death of a relative, divorce, severe illness, or experience of loss or separation. The common feature of such events is that they are experienced as unjust, as a personal insult, accompanied by psychological violation of basic beliefs and values. The central psychopathological response pattern in PTED is a prolonged feeling of embitterment. In particular, the core emotion of embitterment can lead to the rejection of treatment. Therefore, "wisdom therapy" as a new treatment approach specifically designed for PTED has been developed. It is assumed that many patients suffering from PTED are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. This review would help to introduce PTED into the clinical field in psychiatry.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2012

Objective : Individuals with anxiety disorders experience a wide range of time to seeking treatment (TST) as well as various comorbid mental disorders. The present study examined the TST in social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder. This study aimed to find out the influence of comorbid mental disorder on TST of anxiety disorder through the comparison of SAD and panic disorder. Methods : This study included 311 SAD and 378 panic disorder patients at the initial visit of psychiatric clinic. Contribution of clinical (number of comorbidity, comorbid type and onset age) and demographic (current age) factors to TST were investigated by multivariate analysis. Results : The median length of TST was 14.03 years in SAD and 2.26 years in panic disorder. In social anxiety disorder, fewer comorbidity, younger onset age, and older age were factors associated with delayed TST. In panic disorder, only younger onset age was associated with delayed TST. In both disorders, comorbid depressive disorder was associated with shorter TST. Conclusion : Our data provided the differences in illness behavior needing help based on comorbid mental disorders between SAD and panic disorder. In addition to comorbid disorder, factors affecting TST of anxiety disorder requires future investigation.