• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.137-143
• /
• 2015

Fire fighter are exposed to the situations which are hard to predict due to continuous and accidental changes which hinder their fire fighting activity. As these threats of safety accident act as fear factors, they are doing insecure fire fighting activities. Therefore, as unclear and abnormal risks of working environment such as the riskiness of expansion of disaster, instability, obstacles of activities, abnormality, urgency, etc. increase, safety accidents are caused. This study analyzes the actual condition of safety and health and awareness of fire fighter who are exposed safety accidents during their fire fighting activities and utilize such result as the basis data to secure safety of fire fighter, keep efficient safety control and prevent accidents. The results of analysis are as follows. As rescue works among all fire-fighting works shows the highest emotional stabilization and the highest post-traumatic stress disorder is shown in fire sergeant level positions, and fire fighters whose working period is 10-15 years, reinforcing safety training to long-term workers is necessary. As the result of survey regarding safety awareness, the highest awareness level was shown in fire sergeant level positions, and fire fighters whose working period is over 20 years, and when it comes to operation of fire fighting equipments, fire-fighting workers and workers having 1-4 years of working period showed high safety awareness. The more serious injury in a fire fighter experienced as the first injury after working as a fire-fighter, the more cause-and-effect relationship was shown between personal physical condition and work, and it is shown as obstacles of fire fighting activities and affects to post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, as after-work off duty activities also affect to official disaster, systematic improvement of working environment is required. Occupational medical work compatibility evaluation considering the distinct characteristics of works to secure fire-fighter' health care together with fire-fighting capability is shown to be necessary.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.13-19
• /
• 2005

Objective:The purposes of this study were to investigate heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder(GAD) compared with major depressive disorder in Korea. Methods:Fifty-six GAD patients(20 male and 36 female) was classified into their comorbid psychiatric illness. Among them, Twenty-five patients(10 male and 15 female) who do not have any psychiatric comorbidity were compared with 30 major depressive disorder patients(12 male and 18 female). Clinical symptoms, HRV and MMPI were analysed between two group. Results:Comorbid psychiatric illnesses of GAD were ranked into no diagnosis(44.6%), MDD(32.1%), panic disorder(10.7%), social phobia(5.3%), PTSD(1.7%), OCD(1.7%), MDD+panic disorder(1.7%) and MDD+specific phobia(1.7%). GAD patients showed low functioning in HRV, but degree of decreasing HRV is not so severe compared with MDD patient. Balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve tone is more severely impaired in GAD patients compared with MDD patient. The score of MMPI did not reveal any differences between two groups. Conclusions:The result showed that HRV can differenciate GAD and MDD patients. GAD patients could show decreased HRV functioning, less than MDD patients. But autonomic imbalance could be more severe in GAD than MDD patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.173-180
• /
• 2004

Over the last decade, EMDR(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has emerged as a promising new treatment for trauma and other anxiety-based disorders. However, neurobiological mechanism of EMDR has not been well understood. Authors report SPECT findings of two patients of PTSD before and after EMDR. Brain 99mTc-ECD-SPECT was performed before and after EMDR treatment. To evaluate the significance of changes in the regional cerebral perfusion, t-test was conducted on the resulting images using SPM99. In addition, clinical scales(CAPS, CGI, STAI) were employed to asses the changes in the clinical symptoms of the patients. After EMDR treatment, each showed significant improvement in clinical symptoms. The cerebral perfusion increased in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and decreased in the temporal association cortex. The differences in the cerebral perfusion between patients after treatment and normal controls decreased. These changes appeared mainly in the limbic area the and the prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that EMDR may show the therapeutic effect through 1) improvement in the emotional control by increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, 2) inhibited hyperstimuli on amygdala by deactivation of the association cortex, 3) inhibition on past trauma related memory, and 4) keeping the functional balance between the limbic area and the prefrontal cortex. This case report needs further replication from studies with larger sample.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 2009

Objectives : It is reported that panic disorder is frequently comorbid with other psychiatric illnesses. The aim of this study was to investigate differences of psychiatric comorbidity according to age of onset of panic disorder. Methods : Three hundred-two patients participated in the study. All the patients were evaluated by clinical instruments for the assessment the presence of other comorbid psychiatric disorders and various clinical features; Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Self-report questionnaires(Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Anxiety Sensitivity Index and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and clinical rating scale (Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale and Global Assessment of Functional score). Chi-square test was used to determine the difference between early onset and late onset panic disorder. Results : Forty percent of panic patients were found to have at least one comorbid psychiatric diagnosis. There were no differences among the groups divided by number of comorbidity in sex, agoraphobia comorbidity, duration of panic disorder, except onset age of panic disorder. Early onset group had more comorbidy with social phobia, agoraphobia, PTSD. We also found that Early onset panic disorder patients were more likely to experience derealization, nausea, parethesia than late onset panic disorder patients. Conclusion : The results of our study are in keeping with previous data from other parts of the world. Our finding suggest that earier onset of panic disorder related to more psychiatric comorbidity.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the M&L Trauma Psychotherapy Program on: Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R-K); Euro QOL-5 Dimension (EQ5D); Five-facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ); and psychological tests. Methods: Eight middle-aged women subjected to domestic violence participated in the two-day M&L Trauma Psychotherapy Program. The Program was executed 5 times 2 days for about 3 hours. We evaluated IES-R-K, EQ5D, FFMQ, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), State-Trait Anger Expression inventory (STAXI) and SUDS before the Program and for four weeks afterwards, to analyze the effects of the M&L Trauma Psychotherapy Program. Results: The scores of IES-R-K, BDI, STAI-S, STAI-T, Hwa ST and Hwa CT decreased significantly (p<0.05). EQ5D scores increased significantly (p<0.05) and overall physical condition scale (VAS) increased. In the FFMQ scores, all five facet scores increased slightly. Scores of SUDS decreased significantly right after the program, and remained decreased four weeks later, rather than before the Program (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results suggested that the M&L Trauma Psychotherapy Program improved post-traumatic stress, quality of life and mindfulness skills, and had positive responses to psychological problems - depression, anxiety, anger and distress.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.144-147
• /
• 2005

Objective: The authors would like to find the relationship between zolpidem and nocturnal eating episodes in diverse psychiatric patients. Method: We evaluated case series of 6 patients who showed nocturnal eating episodes after takine zolpidem. Results: We have experienced 6 cases who showed nocturnal eating behavior after taking zolpidem. They included 3 patients with schizoprenia, a patient with major depressive disorder, a patient with PTSD and a patient with bipolra I disorder. With reducing or discontiuation of zolpidem, their nocturanl eating resolved. Conclusion: This finding strongly suggests the relationship between zolpidem and the nocturnal eating episode. Physicians should be aware that zolpidem might induce nocturnal eating behaviors.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.218-226
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The study aimed to determine the impact of post-traumatic stress and ways of stress coping on problem drinking in firefighters. Methods: Data were collected from May 11 to June 11, 2015, in fire brigades across South Korea. Participants were 183 male firefighters who used self-report questionnaires containing questions from the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC), and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Data were analyzed using $x^2$ test, t-test, and logistic regression with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. Results: The prevalence of PTSD among firefighters was 36.7% and that of problem drinking was 39.3%. Firefighters with single (OR=0.23, 95% CI=0.038~1.321) and married status (OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.069~3.040) were less likely to have problem drinking than those who were divorced or bereavement. Those with invasion symptoms (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.031~1.327) and hyperarousal symptoms (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.722~0.989) were more likely to have problem drinking than those with avoidance symptoms. Conclusion: Post-traumatic stress symptom was a major risk factor that increased problem drinking, and married status reduced problem drinking. There is a need to develop post-traumatic stress symptom management program and early education content for symptom management.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.54-60
• /
• 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
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.120-124
• /
• 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.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.64 no.4
• /
• pp.5-29
• /
• 2012

This study aimed to express the experiences of the parents who lost their children by suicides in their own words from their own perspectives by van Manen(2000)'s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The analysis of the words expressed by the research participants led to the following five fundamental themes. These are 'broken heart, sinner's grief, land of exile and time stood still, pains to be comforted, and days ahead with half-stitched wounds'. Several distinctions are found due to cultural differences from Korean parents. First, whereas the Western parents see the cause of their child's suicide as his/her independent issue, the Korean parents blame themselves entirely. This may have stemmed from the overly inter-dependency between the parents and the child. Second, whereas the Western perspective views the suicide as a type of illness from the individual's depression. The Korean perspective views the suicide as a shame that disgraces the parents or the family. This negative social perspective intensifies the self-blame and social isolation. Third, the Westerners recognize the prevention and responsibility of suicide resting with the society and government, but the Korean society recognize suicide as personal or family matter. Based on the finding above, I proposed a number of practical measures to aid the surviving parents who belong to a group with extremely high suicidal rates.