• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.347-358
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• 2017

Background: The recent revision of South Korea's Mental Health Law emphasizes the role of the Mental Health Review Board. For this study, we examined the current status of continuing hospitalization judgement in Mental Health Review Board at the national level and aimed to determine the directions of improvement. Methods: Using a qualitative case study as the research method, we interviewed 30 Mental Health Review Board members and analyzed the results. Results: Each municipality had very different continuing hospitalization judgement methods. In our systematic review, which consisted of document inspection, we identified reliability problems due to limitations in Mental Health Review Board's operating systems, discharge orders, etc. Additionally, continuing hospitalization judgement needs to improve the objectivity, fairness, and effectiveness of their screening examinations. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest policy proposals to improve these systems, such as standardizing examination processes, strengthening on-site inspections, increasing the independence and neutrality of judgment in Mental Health Review Board, building community mental health infrastructures, and establishing integrated management systems.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.75-96
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• 2006

Having gone through socioeconomic changes from an agricultural to a post-industrial society, mental health system accordingly has been changed. In Korea where the socioeconomic change has been so rapid, the mental health system and law have been behind the socioeconomic system. Post-industrial society needs more humanized and advanced mental health system, however, Korean mental health law reflects ideology of Korean society in industrial age. This paper attempts to assess the significance Korea's Mental Health Law against the backdrop of socioeconomic changes. A substantial part of the report is devoted to identifying discrepancies between Korea's Mental Health Law and the perspectives of post-industrial ideology and areas for improvement. Improvement in mental health law should take place in line with the changes occurring in socioeconomic environments, the social concept of family, and the public awareness of human rights. Korea's mental health law should be changed in a way to improve hospitalization procedure for people with mental illness, promote the opening of mental health facilities and improve the quality of the lives of the mentally ill. Further changes are deemed necessary in the public and media view of mental illness. Also, the national budget will have to be increased with a view to raise the social rights of those with mental illness to receive quality rehabilitation services.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2017

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the mental health improvement program in Korean firefighters. Methods : A total of 502 firefighters working at Daegu, Ulsan and Gumi participated in the mental health improvement program for an 8-week period. The program included evaluation and counseling as well as psychoeducation for mental health awareness. Subjects were divided to two groups including the PTSD high risk group and PTSD non-high risk group. Results : The program resulted in a significant decrease in mean scores of depression and insomnia for all firefighters. PTSD high risk group showed a significantly higher level of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Multiple logistic regression analysis with PTSD high risk group as a dependent variable indicated that moderate depression was a high-risk factor for PTSD in firefighters, as compared to no depression ; in addition, subthreshold and moderate insomnia was another risk factor. Conclusion : The evaluation and management of psychopathologies including depression and insomnia associated with traumatic events can be helpful to improve the mental health of firefighters.

• Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.314-324
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze research and development projects in mental health services in Korea, using priority evaluation of mental health promotion policies to determine direction of the service. Methods: An online survey was conducted that targeted experts in the mental health service regarding promotion of mental health in Korea in 2016. The survey was based on 32 policy projects that resulted from 12 strategies according to 4 policy objectives. Results: Analysis of 32 mental health projects were assessed regarding the possibility of technology development success, magnitude of the ripple effect, and necessity of a national response. It was observed that 3 policy projects relevant to suicide, had a high relative priority. This was followed by policies for improvement of health insurance and the medical benefit cost system, and policies for reinforcement of crisis psychological support such as those for disaster victims. Conclusion: The prioritization of mental health services should place an emphasis on promotion of a healthy mental lifestyle, rehabilitation support for patients with serious mental illness, and reinforcement of social safety networks for suicide prevention.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2023

Objectives: We developed an integrated cognitive function improvement program comprising cognitive, emotional, and physical domains, and remotely applied it to middle-aged adults to investigate its effects on oral health, cognitive function, and mental health improvement. Methods: The experimental group underwent the program remotely, using the Zoom platform. A total of 24 participants were recruited and divided into 12 experimental and 12 control groups. The program comprised cognitive, emotional, and physical activities. The sessions lasted 90 min and were performed twice a week for 6 weeks from April to May 2022. Results: Cognitive function, arousal, physical, and mental stress were significantly improved in the experimental group after the intervention than at the baseline (p<0.05). Regarding oral health, tongue plaque decreased 1.34-fold (p<0.01) and saliva increased 1.04-fold (p<0.05) in the experimental group after the intervention than at the baseline. Moreover, the experimental group showed significant improvements in tongue plaque and saliva than the control group (p<0.05 for tongue plaque and p<0.01 for saliva). Regarding mental health, social support significantly increased 11.67-fold (p<0.05) in the experimental group than at the baseline. The experimental group also showed significantly improved social support than the control group (p<0.01). Conclusions: The non-face-to-face integrated cognitive function improvement program for middle-aged adults improved their cognitive function and oral and mental health. Based on these findings, this program may be a useful health program tool for middle-aged individuals.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 2021

Purpose: This study is a case study in which the space was improved by applying the design direction derived through the theoretical basis and service design process to the outpatient department and health examination center in mental health facilities used by various stakeholders. And it aims to present implications through this. Methods: The research method is based on the analysis of the service design process with a focus on literature review. Results: As a result of deriving the design direction, it was organized into 1) improvement of spatial arrangement, 2) improvement of wayfinding system, and 3) creation of comfortable environment. The design improvement plan suggested division of areas, change of nurse station location, creation of a pleasant waiting space for the outpatient department, reinforcement of access, improvement of room relocation and flow, and increased comfort of common spaces for the health examination center. Implications: First, it is necessary to expand research and application of spatial planning and environmental design reflecting the characteristics of patients and environments of mental health institutions. Second, in the medical environment, the divided territoriality should be reviewed for various stakeholders as well as the coexistence. Third, it is necessary to promote medical service and environmental improvement through the service design process.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to report the case mental health of people with disabilities has improved through visit treatment at public health centers. From October 26, 2021 to January 04, 2022, 6 visits were conducted and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Korean version of Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (K-CES-D), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Euro Qol-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were used to check changes. After Korean Medicine treatments such as acupuncture, electroacupuncture, electromoxibustion, PHQ-9 decreased from 18 to 8, BDI decreased from 22 to 15, K-CES-D decreased from 42 to 21. And VAS decreased from 85 to 50, EQ-VAS increased from 30 to 50. But There was no change in the MBI. Confirmation of improvement in mental health-related indicators of disabled patients through Korean Medicine treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.175-189
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to identify the present state of training system for mental health professionals. There are some topics which must be improved in the training system, like as reinforcement of qualification of the trainers, introduction of assessment system of the training, and other the quality improvement measures for the training system. Finally, the speciality and capability of mental health professionals will be promoted by supplements of the problematic matters and these efforts will be directly helpful to the people who has mental illnesses.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-129
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• 1996

This study was designed to provide the material for the development of policies for the improvement of the quality of life the elderly by identifying the relationship among general characteristics, mental health, physical health and social health which exert an effect on the improvement of the quality of old people’s lives, development of a model capable of enhancing the quality of life for the elderly and establishing the future direction of health education. 1000 old people who were more than 60 years old were selected as subjects for this study, and the interview and inquire methods using the questionnaire and the self-completion method were employed to obtain data. 1. It was shown that there was a significant difference between the home elderly and Institutionalized elderly in terms of all measured items except stress item of general characteristic, as well as on almost measured items of physical health, mental health and social health, and it was shown that there was the interaction between departments. 2. Since it was shown that general characteristics, mental health, physical and social health were interrelated, it can be seen that one characteristic is mutually related to other characteristics.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.68-82
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• 1998

This study attempted to develop fundamental data of nursing intervention for Women's health improvement through literature review related to women's health. Women's health problems are focused in nursing because the quality of women's health influences on public health directly and indirectly. Especially women experience more stressors and mental disorders than men. This paper reviewed rationale of mental problems to understand Women's mental problems through various research paper analysis. As a result, it was found that women's mental problems as well as the health were affected by various factors and were connected with social, cultural elements closely. This result means that women are affected by social, economical, psychological states from gender unequality in this society. So to solve the women's mental problems, women have to be considered as human beings, women, mothers with multiple roles. And like Hwabyung, one of the women's mental problems related to Korean traditional culture, nursing needs to be done to solve the problem through cultural approach. To do this, nursing has to research negative effect as well as positive effect on women's mental health by modern culture which includes "Han" and traditional family culture. The multidisplinary, interdisplinary communication is important to develop nursing intervention and nursing must build a pertinent Korean women's mental health research system to improve a sociopolitical environment.