• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.109-115
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• 2019

Objectives: This study investigates lay beliefs about the etiology and treatments of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome, as well as identifying sociodemographic and personality variables affecting these beliefs among South Koreans. Methods: In total, 673 participants (mean age $41.77{\pm}12.03$ years) completed an online survey regarding their beliefs about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. The factors related to their lay beliefs about the disorders were analyzed, and the correlates were investigated. Results: Results indicated that lay people in South Korea held strong beliefs that the causes of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome lie within the parenting/psychological and neurological/biological categories, compared to the dietary/environmental one. Among the sociodemographic variables, sex, age, and levels of subjective mental health knowledge were primarily associated with the aforementioned beliefs. Familiarity with tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome was also associated with these beliefs. Among the personality traits investigated, extraversion and conscientiousness had significant influences on the beliefs people had about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. Conclusion: The results suggest that both policy makers and mental health service providers should adopt a strategic approach for developing and implementing health education interventions about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome because individual sociodemographic variables, familiarity with the disorders, and personality traits are all associated with the beliefs about these disorders.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 1997

Serotonin has been implicated in the etiology of many disease states and may be particularly important mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, suicide, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, migraine and others. Many currently used treatments of these disorders are thought to act by modulating serotonergic function. The identification of many serotonin subtypes, most of which have been shown to have functional activity and differential distribution, has stimulated considerable effort into synthesizing selective ligands(drugs) to help understand their significance. This should understand the role of serotonin in mental disorders and these new drugs can be studied alone and in combination with other treatments in order to clarify the parameters of drug use for the clinical effect.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.sup1
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• pp.12-21
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• 2013

Several epidemiological studies have shown that exercise (EX) and physical activity (PA) can prevent or delay the onset of different mental disorders, and have therapeutic benefits when used as sole or adjunct treatment in mental disorders. This review summarizes studies that used EX interventions in patients with anxiety, affective, eating, and substance use disorders, as well as schizophrenia and dementia/mild cognitive impairment. Despite several decades of clinical evidence with EX interventions, controlled studies are sparse in most disorder groups. Preliminary evidence suggests that PA/EX can induce improvements in physical, subjective and disorder-specific clinical outcomes. Potential mechanisms of action are discussed, as well as implications for psychiatric research and practice.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.137-143
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• 2013

The psychiatric patients as subjects were categorized herein into disease- and accident-triggered groups to statistically compare them with each other in terms of various comparative items. At a result, male patients were more dominant than females and physical workers were outnumbered by mental workers in the two groups. Also, patients were more apparent at workplaces with at least 100 employees than the ones with less than 100 employees, and patients whose employment period is at least one year were more vulnerable to stress-related mental disorders than the ones whose employment period falls short of one year. The foregoing findings suggest that there is a need to take preventive measures considering vulnerable aspects in terms of mental disorders.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.115-122
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• 2000

The development of molecular biology has brought many changes in psychiatry. Molecular biology makes us possible to know the cause of mental disorders that provide the way to prevent the disorders, and to develop various accurate diagnostic and treatment methods for mental disorders. The author discusses the concept, cause, and treatment of mental disorders in the aspect of molecular biology. Importing the methods of molecular biology into psychiatry, we can anticipate to get a number of the goals of psychiatric genetics, including identification of specific susceptibility genes, clarification of the pathophysiological processes whereby these genes lead to symptoms, establishment of epigenetic factors that interact with these genes to produce disease, validation of nosological boundaries that more closely reflect the actions of these genes, and development of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions based on genetic counseling, gene therapy, and modification of permissive or protective environmental influences. In addition to their capacity to accelerate the discovery of new molecules participating in the nervous system's response to disease or to self-administered drugs, molecular biological strategies can also be used to determine how critical a particular gene product may be in mediating a cellular event with behavioral importance. Molecular biology probably enables us discover the environmental factors of mental disorders and allow rational drug design and gene therapies for mental disorders, by isolation of gene products that facilitate a basic understanding of the pathogenesis of these disorders. A specific genetic linkage may suggest a novel class of drugs that has not yet been tried. With respect to gene therapy, the hypothetical method would use a gene delivery system, most likely a modified virus, to insert a functional copy of a mutant gene into those brain cells that require the gene for normal function.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.308-319
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• 2018

Background: Some mental illnesses such as depression are known to be one of the risk factors of suicide and proper antidepressant therapy can reduce suicidal behavior. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze regional variations in antidepressant consumption and adherence, suicide rate, prevalence of suicide related mental disorders, and access to relevant healthcare services. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service between 2014 and 2016. We included patients who had a diagnosis record of suicide related mental disorders during the study period. Cause of death statistics and National health and medical statistics were used to identify suicide rate and distribution of healthcare service. We conducted visual analyses, chi-squared tests, independent t-tests and correlation analyses to demonstrate regional variations. Results: Between 2014 and 2016, the average prevalence of suicide related mental disorders was 5.4 per cent. Suicide rate and prevalence of suicide related mental disorders were higher in Gangwon, Chungcheong, and Jeolla (p < 0.001), and lower in Seoul (p < 0.001) than the national average. Unexpectedly, regional variations in antidepressant consumption were seen in the limited area including Daejeon, Chungnam and Gyeongnam (p < 0.05). The number of mild patient-centered clinics was associated positively with antidepressant consumption (p < 0.01) and associated negatively with suicide rate (p < 0.01). Conclusion: There were some regional variations in prevalence of suicide related mental disorders, antidepressant adherence and suicide rate. The higher level of antidepressant therapy and the lower level of suicide rates were seen in regions with easy access to mild patient-centered clinics.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2018

Objective : The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric features of the Korean version of the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale-the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (K-EDDS DSM-5). Methods : A total of 72 patients diagnosed with eating disorders participated in the study. The diagnosis was based on the Korean version of the Eating Disorder Examination (KEDE) interview. All participants completed the K-EDDS and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire version 6.0 (EDE-Q 6.0) for this study. The psychometric features of the K-EDDS were examined using exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity of agreement between the K-EDDS and the KEDE, and internal consistency. Results : The exploratory factor analysis initially extracted 6-factor structures which were reconstructed into 4 factors of body dissatisfaction, binge behavior, binge frequency, and compensatory behavior based on appropriateness of the items. The internal consistency of the K-EDDS was fairly acceptable (Cronbach's alpha=0.72). The diagnostic agreement between the K-EDDS and the KEDE was high (98.61%). The 4 factors of the K-EDDS showed significant correlation with the 4 subscales of the EDE-Q 6.0. Conclusion : Our data suggests that the K-EDDS is a reliable and valid tool for the diagnosis of eating disorders based on the DSM-5.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.243-253
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• 2008

In the post-genomic era, the mechanisms controlling activation of genes are thought to be more important. Gene-environment interactions are crucial in both development and treatment of psychiatric disorders as they are complex genetic disorders. Epigenetics is defined as a change of gene expression that occurs without a change of DNA sequence and can be heritable by certain mechanisms. Epigenetic changes play essential roles in control of gene activation. DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling and RNAi act as key mechanisms for epigenetic modifications of genes. Here, we review the basic mechanisms of epigenetics and discuss their potential involvement of human diseases, including psychiatric disorders.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.459-464
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• 2013

Improving mental health and reducing the burden of mental illness are complementary strategies which, along with the treatment and rehabilitation of people with mental disorders, significantly improve population health and well-being. A Institute of Medicine report describes a range of interventions for mental disorders that included treatment and maintenance, reserving the term "prevention" for efforts that occur before onset of a diagnosable disorder. Mental health problems affect 10-20% of children and adolescents worldwide. Despite their relevance as a leading cause of health-related disability and their long lasting consequences, the mental health needs of children and adolescents are neglected. Early intervention can help reduce the significant impacts that children and adolescents with serious mental health problems may experience. Screening is the first step in early intervention, recognizing emotional and behavioral problems and providing help at an early stage. It is essential to implement early intervention in a sensitive and ethical manner to avoid any of the negative outcomes.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.158-167
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• 2021

This work aims to explore personal coping and insight experience in mental disorder symptoms from the perspective of the parties in order to lay an empirical basis for the transition of the mental health service paradigm from a medical model to a human rights model. For this purpose, in-depth interviews with 8 persons with mental disorders were conducted and a model of practice was suggested through analysis using the grounded theory. As a result, 11 categories, 23 sub-categories and 132 concepts were identified. According to the analysis of this study, people with mental disorders have changed their perspective on symptoms through in-depth insight into their identities and symptoms as mental disorders, and discovered their own autonomous ways to cope with symptoms, managing their daily lives. Therefore, in developing a Korean alternative model for people with mental disorders, it is necessary to prepare conditions to find their own countermeasures through opportunities for insight.