• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.283-290
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• 2004

Purpose: This study elicited Korean women's perceptions of the life situations that contribute to Hwabyung, a culture.bound psychiatric illness in Korea, and delineated a typology of the perceived causative factors for this illness. Method: A purposive sample of 21 Korean women was recruited from a church, a senior center in Seoul and a clinic that provides traditional Korean and westernized medical services to patients in the Gyeonggi area. Inclusion criteria were: 1) the diagnosis of Hwabyung by a traditional doctor or "stress reaction and depression" by a westernized doctor; and 2) a score greater than 40 on the Hwabyung Self.Report Instrument. Surveys using the HSRI and individual interviews using Qmethodology were used. Result: The average age of the participants was 53.7 years(range 35-84). The mean score on the HSRI was 46.2(range = 42-52). Data analysis showed that participants perceived three life situations to cause Hwabyung: vulnerable situation, lowered self.esteem, and negative life events. Conclusions: Korean women, suffering from Hwabyung, perceived at least three different causal patterns for this illness. Nursing care plans should be tailored to meet these differences.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.173-180
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• 1996

Generally, Hwabyung is more commen in older women, in low educational group. Many psychiatrists explain it as the illness originated from a series of psychological stresses. And they think that Hwabyung patients have somatization disorder, anxiety disorder, and, major depression. But, many of oriental medical doctors explain it as symptoms having the character of fire. In order to investigate the clinical aspects of Hwabyung, this study was carried out in department of oriental neuropsychiatry at Kyung Hee Medical Center. The subject was 34 year old female who was an inpatient in K.M.C from Aug. 14 Aug 26, 1996.The results of the study showed that familial problem and long-termed(about 10 years) stressed situation drove her to Hwabyung. This seems to be related to Korean traditional culture. That is, Korean women were exposured to familial problem(related to mother-in-law, and, her husband), and, poverty, etc. But they had to be patient of this situation. Nowadays, though this situation is rather improved, Hwabyung remains a problem with us, because many people still suffer from Hwabyung.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.97-109
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• 1998

This study was designed and undertaken to identify objectively the degree and relationship of anxiety, depression, & anger which are chief essential elements of emotional status in Hwabyung patients.The subjects in this study were 35 Hwabyung patients and 40 Non-Hwabyung persons, and for the assessment of anxiety, depression, & anger. We used Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS), Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS) & State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory(STAXI).The results of this study are as follows:1. There were significant differences in the 18 items of SAS among 20 items between Hwabyung patients and the control group(p＜0.05 respectively).2. There were significant differences in the 13 items of SDS among 20 items between Hwabyung patients and the control group(p＜0.05 respectively).3. There were significant differences in the mean scores of SAS and SDS between Hwabyung patients and the control group(p＜0.001 respectively).4. There were significant differences in the mean scores of State Anger, Trait Anger, Trait Anger/Temperament, Anger-in & Anger-out counted by STAXI between Hwabyung patients and the control group (p＜0.001, p＜0.01, p＜0.001, p＜0.001, p＜0.05 respectively).5. There were significant relationships between State Anger & Anxiety, Anger-out & Trait Anger/Temperament, Depression & Anxiety(r=.43, r=.37, r=.64).

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.39-47
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• 2020

Objectives : The study aimed to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on the mental health of elementary and middle school teachers, especially hwabyung, depression, and anxiety. Methods : The participants were teachers of three elementary schools and one middle school in Seoul. The survey was self-reported by online. The questionnaire included hwabyung scale, CES-D, and GAD-7. Results : The survey conducted from November 5th to December 3rd, 2020. A total number of 81 teachers replied to the survey. The hwabyung prevalence was 27.2% by hwabyung symptoms score. The mean hwabyung characteristics score was 30.10±10.55, the mean hwabyung symptoms score was 18.32±12.26. The depression prevalence was 44.4%, mean CES-D was 15.85±11.51. The anxiety prevalence was 43.2%, mean GAD-7 was 5.05±4.53. Conclusions : The survey showed that teachers had a high score of hwabyung, anxiety, and depression in the COVID-19 epidemic. The teachers were in need of help to improve their mental health.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2006

Generally, Hwabyung is more common in older women, in low educational group. Many psychiatrists explain it as the illness originated from a series of psychological stresses. And they think that Hwabyung patients have somatization disorder, anxiety disorder, and major depression. But, many of oriental medical doctors explain it as symptoms having the character of fire. In this case, we described a 67-years old woman who diagnosed as Hwabyung. She complained flush face with surging feeling, headache, dizziness and depression, and her condition was improved through oriental medical treatment such as acupuncture and herbal medicine about 5 weeks.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.205-216
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• 1999

Hwabyung is an illness due to stagnated emotion accumulated for a long time and is not rare in the area of neuropsyhchiatric clinics in Korea. It has been widely used among Korean people, and was introduced as culture bound syndrome in DSM-IV. The purpose of this study was to investigate the origin of Hwabyung, and concepts using at past. Hwabyung is described in 'Choson Wangjo Silok' in 1603 (Sonjo 37th year) at first. The explanation about Hwabyung in 'Choson Wangjo Silok' contain etiology, pathology, symptoms and treatment, is closely related with the meaning through Korean Traditional Medicine.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2009

Objectives : The approach to Hwabyung from all angles is needed to develop the clinical practice guideline. To achieve this approach, various tools should be used practically and systematically. Methods : We gather the tools based on multi aspects of Hwabyung's characteristics. The tools will be used to each steps of clinical practice guideline development. Results : For the clinical practice guideline, there should be applied many kinds of tools, such as for decision and assesment, survey with oriental medicine property, collecting individual stress information, mental and psychological trait, and related or following disease. Conclusions : Application of many objective tools provides the evidence-based medical approaches for development of clinical practice guideline for Hwabyung.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.470-482
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• 2007

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the experience of family breakdown of Hwabyung patients in a socio-cultural context. Methods: Data for this study came from 5 participants, 2 family members and 1 friend of participant by interviews and participant observations from January 2006 to April 2007. Sociology of everyday lives analyzing method were adopted. Results: There were two processes of family breakdown ; sudden on set and progressive processes. The sudden breakdown was unpredictable death of a husband, the significant family member. On the other hand, their family structure and function were broken down through the husband, who repeatedly destructive and malicious behaviors. The experience of family breakdown of middle-aged women with Hwabyung in a socio-cultural context was weakened or severed family-relationships, exhaustion of economic sources, and the breakdown of participant's body. Participant's experience of family breakdown were influenced by Korean culture, the patriarchal social system and the clan-centered family system. Conclusion: Hwabyung is the result of a clan-centered family system and patriarchal system. The approach to Hwabyung should involve not only the person with the illness but also their family.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2000

This study was designed and performed to identify the effects of oriental medical therapy on hwabyung patients by investigating the life events as the cause of Hwabyung, recent stress perception which influences the clinical appearances and change of symptoms by means of objective scales. 1. Through life events rating scale, life events are reported as follows, in the order of majority. Health, discord within family, martial life, friendship and interest, religion etc. Hwabyung patients experienced negative stress much more than positive stress. 2. Through the GARS (Global Assessment of Recent Stress), there were some significant decreases of stress perception in stress4(stress of sickness or injury), stress7(stress of change or no change in routine) and stress8(overall global stress)(p<0.05, respectively), but there were no significant decreases in five items out of eight items. 3. There were significant decreases of all rated symptoms(feeling of chest oppressed, stuffy in the chest or epigastric mass, feeling of something pushing-up, flushing of body or face, abrupt impulsion of anger, resentment), which were checked weekly for 4 times (p<0.05, respectively). In this study the symptoms of hwabyung were improved regardless of stress perception. It means that hwabyung can be improved significantly with oriental medical therapy.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2005

I. Objectives - Hwabyung is anger syndrome due to prolonged, constrained feeling. In Sasang constitutional Medicine. Soeumin(소음인(少陰人))'s contancy is apprehension, so they tend to worry about little matters. And they are characterized by neurosis such as insomnia, headache and so on. This patient is classified Soeumin, and her main symptom is insomnia, diarrhea and flaring up. Refering to these symptom, she is suffering from Soeurnin interior disease bv psychological factor. This study is reported to evaluate the effect of Sasang prescription to Hwabyung patient with Soeumnin interior disease by psychological factor. 2. Methods - This patient was treated by Sibimigwanjoong-tang(십이미관중탕(十二味寬中湯)) mainly, and Hyangboojapalmool-tang( 향부자팔물탕(香附子八物湯)) subsequently to cure Hwabyung patient with Soeumin interiot disease by psychological factor 3. Results - By use of Sibimigwanjoong-tang mainly, this patient showed a positive response. 4. Conclusions - We suggest that Sibimigwanjoong-tang and Hyangboojapalmool-tang is effected significantly to Hwabyung patient with Soeumin interior disease by psychological factor.