• Anxiety and mood
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2016

Objective : Disaster causes psychological distress to a large number of people in a short period of time, by both direct and indirect exposure to traumatic events embedded in various realms of disaster experience. Optimal, well-planned treatment interventions should follow from the early acute period to recovery phase, extending up to several months later. In this context, there is an increasing need for systemic review to gain comprehensive insights for disaster interventions. These need to be added to public policy, and for the prevention and treatment of disaster-related psychopathology. Here, we review the published studies on psychological interventions for disaster-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Methods : Specific psychological interventions regarded as effective treatments for have been selected for this review, such as CBT (Cognitive-Behavior Therapy), Exposure Therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), SIT (Stress Inoculation Therapy) and Psychoeducation. In addition, natural disasters, industrial disasters, and accidents involving aircraft and ships were also categorized as disasters, along with war and combat trauma. Results : Cognitive behavior therapy and exposure therapy had the strongest research support for effectiveness, and could be considered as the first-choice treatment for disaster-related PTSD. The second line of treatment is EMDR, although this treatment modality has the advantage of reaching certain treatment improvements in fewer sessions. However, the effects of SIT and psychoeducation to the survivors of disasters, remains unclear at this point. Additionally, we propose the possibilities of using virtual reality component and imagery rescripting as modified forms of traditional cognitive behavior therapy and exposure therapy. Conclusion : Cognitive behavior therapy and exposure therapy, deemed effective treatments for various trauma, are considered to be effective for survivors from disasters. However, the efficacy of other interventions has not yet been examined methodologically in well-designed studies, such as randomized controlled trials. In particular, future empirical studies are needed, since it is difficult to conclude that psychological interventions have similar effects on different types of disasters.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.360-368
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between parenting behavior, parenting efficacy, adaptation stress and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) among mothers who have defected from North Korean. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted to illustrate the parenting behavior, parenting efficacy, adaptation stress and PTSD and report the relationships among them. Data were collected between August and November of 2009 in Hanawon and 105 mothers who met eligibility criteria participated in the study. Results: Ignorant/controlling parenting behavior of parenting showed the highest score in our study. The level of parenting efficacy was $2.72{\pm}0.36$ and adaptation stress level was $3.35{\pm}0.47$ showing perceived hostility the highest and homesickness the lowest. Participants with moderate to severe PTSD accounted for 79.5% of the mothers, and 75% of them reported symptoms for 3 months or more. Authoritative parenting behavior showed negative relationships with parenting efficacy, cultural crisis and fear, adaptation stress and PTSD. Conclusion: Mothers who have defected from showed negative parenting behaviors and high adaptation stress level and PTSD while parenting efficacy was high. These findings indicate that parenting intervention programs which can guide these mothers towards positive parenting behaviors need to be developed.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.132-141
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a forest therapy program on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mood states of fire fighters. A total of 293 participants completed two psychological questionnaires before and after the program was conducted: the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Data were analyzed with paired t-test and ANCOVA using SPSS 24.0. The PTSD results showed a significant decrease from 11.38 ± 12.58 points before the program to 6.91 ± 10.50 points after the program. Results of the POMS questionnaire revealed an increase in positive factors and a decrease in negative factors, with a significant overall decrease in POMS results from 8.58 ± 18.47 points before the program to -0.63 ± 15.83 points after the program. As a result of analyzing the differences in stress reduction effects according to the amount of sleep participants had, PTSD showed improvement at 6-8 hours of sleep. These results are expected to be utilized as a basis for stress management and relief in fire fighters.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.345-354
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• 2019

Objectives: It is well-known that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among firefighters contributes to their job-related stress. However, the relationship between burnout and PTSD in firefighters has rarely been studied. This study therefore explored the association between burnout and its related factors, such as trauma and violence, and PTSD symptoms among firefighters in Korea. Methods: A total of 535 firefighters participated in the Firefighter Research on Enhancement of Safety & Health study at 3 university hospitals from 2016 to 2017. The 535 participants received a baseline health examination, including questionnaires assessing their mental health. A Web-based survey was also conducted to collect data on job-related stress, history of exposure to violence, burnout, and trauma experience. The associations among burnout, its related factors, and PTSD symptoms were investigated using structural equation modeling. Results: Job demands (${\beta}=0.411$, p<0.001) and effort-reward balance (${\beta}=-0.290$, p<0.001) were significantly related to burnout. Burnout (${\beta}=0.237$, p<0.001) and violence (${\beta}=0.123$, p=0.014) were significantly related to PTSD risk. Trauma (${\beta}=0.131$, p=0.001) was significantly related to burnout; however, trauma was not directly associated with PTSD scores (${\beta}=0.085$, p=0.081). Conclusions: Our results show that burnout and psychological, sexual, and physical violence at the hands of clients directly affected participants' PTSD symptoms. Burnout mediated the relationship between trauma experience and PTSD.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.177-193
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• 2010

Significant advances have been made in understanding the biological underpinnings of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), particularly in the field of genetics and neuroimaging. Association studies in candidate genes related with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, monoamines including serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, and proteins including FK506-binding protein 5 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor have provided important insights with regard to the vulnerability factors in PTSD. Genome-wide association studies and epigenetic studies may provide further information for the role of genes in the pathophysiology of PTSD. Hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulated cortex and amygdala have been considered as key structures that underlie PTSD pathophysiology. Future research that combines genetic and neuroimaging information may provide an opportunity for a more comprehensive understanding of PTSD.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2019

Recently, increases in major disasters such as fires, earthquakes and typhoons have raised public expectations for safety. In addition to this increase in expectations of safety, the government continues to push for more manpower and better treatment for firefighters who are operating in the disaster scene. Despite the improvement of working conditions and increased welfare for firefighters, however, the incidence and turnover of various mental diseases continues to increase. It is reported that many of the diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder and the turnover of firefighters are due to a mismatch in individual's personality and work environment. In this study, 108 firefighters were evaluated for their vocational aptitude in the new curriculum. Based on the analysis results, new firefighters were proposed to provide employment and education training improvements, and to provide job security suitable for the individual's personality type through the introduction of the vocational aptitude test for firefighters who are working in the fire service. In addition, we would like to use the vocational aptitude test as a material for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and increasing turnover through long-term tracking and observation, rather than from a one-off perspective.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the Path modeling effect among depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), resilience, and social support on the quality of life (QoL) of natural disaster victims. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 1,979 disaster victims' cases by using the 4th Disaster victims panel survey in Korea. Data were collected from october 2018 to december 2018 and analyzed using regression analysis and path way analysis. Results: Perceived health, depression, social support, PTSD, resilience, and QoL showed significant correlations. PTSD was directly affected by depression and QoL was affected by PTSD. Social support was directly affected by depression and resilience was also directly affected by depression. QoL was affected by social support and resilience. Conclusion: This analysis highlighted that the relation between lower depression and QoL was mediated by greater social support and resilience and lower degree of PTSD. These results suggest that community health interventions and education that incorporate social support and resilience may improve the quality of life of natural disaster victims.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.38-51
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• 2012

Purpose: In this study the literature of compassion fatigue in nurses was reviewed in order to analyze the trends of overall research for level of fatigue, symptoms, and factors. Methods: For this study, five databases were searched using the key words 'compassion fatigue', 'secondary traumatization', 'secondary traumatic stress', and 'vicarious traumatization'. Thirty-six papers were analyzed. Results: Most of the compassion fatigue research (86%) was conducted between 2006 and 2011 and the most frequent research approach was quantitative research with the ProQOL which was the most frequently used instrument in the studies. He research was conducted in pediatric, emergency & trauma, oncology, psychiatric, and hospice units with no consistent patterns of t compassion fatigue levels. Factors affecting compassion fatigue were personal factors such as age, education background, work-related factors such as caring for trauma patients, work hours, psychological factors such as work stress, burnout, and support/coping factors such as organizational support, and coping resources. Conclusion: Nurses' compassion fatigue varied from low to high by nursing specialties. Many factors affected the compassion fatigue of nurses. In the future there is a need for study on Korean nurses, and identification of groups at risk for compassion fatigue. Furthermore there is a need to develop management programs on compassion fatigue in nurses, stress reduction and wellbeing.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.251-263
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to review the clinical research trends in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Korean medicine (KM). Methods: We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, Google Scholar and five Korean databases through May 2019, for studies on KM to treat PTSD. Clinical research that conducted KM treatment of PTSD patients were included. Two researchers independently conducted study selection and data extraction process. Results: Totally, eight studies were included in this review. Types of traumatic events that patients experienced included physical violence/threatening, traffic accidents, sexual violence and personal tragic events. KM interventions performed included acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, physical therapy, and KM-based psychotherapy. Treatment duration varied from two days to more than five months. Follow-up began at least one week to three months after the end of treatments. It was reported that the major psychological and/or somatic symptoms of PTSD, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and musculoskeletal pain, subjectively improved, as well as other objective outcomes: Impact Event Scale-Revised Korean version (IES-R-K), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hwabyung Symptoms/characters, Electroencephalography (EEG) change, etc. Statistical studies were conducted in three studies only. Outcomes such as Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), BDI, and IES-R-K showed statistically significant improvement after KM treatments. There was no study reporting adverse events during or after the interventions. Conclusions: According to this review, diverse types of KM treatments have been used among PTSD patients in eight studies. The KM treatments effectively improved psychological and somatic symptoms of PTSD patients. However, the lack of high quality research as well as the lack of standardization of KM treatments for PTSD are limitations. Further methodologically robust clinical trials should be performed, and the standardization of KM treatments for PTSD should be sought.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.215-237
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• 2017

Most research on medical accidents is related to medical disputes and malpractice of relief system. Therefore, there is a lack of research which explores the psychological experiences of patients injured by medical accidents. The purpose of this study was to investigate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of patients harmed by medical accidents and to examine the moderating role of social support on the relationship between clinicians' explanation and attitude and PTSD symptoms. A total of 180 patients were drawn from a medical accident organization and online communities related to medical accidents. Results showed that 171 (95%) of the subjects experienced full PTSD symptoms and their severity of the PTSD Symptoms was as high as those who experienced other severe traumatic events. Though the main effect of clinician's explanation and attitude on PTSD symptoms was not significant, the moderating effect of social support was significant in the relationship between clinicians' explanation and attitude and PTSD symptoms. In other words, when the level of social support was low, the poorer the explanation and attitude of clinicians, the more severe the symptoms of PTSD. Drawing from these results, psychological, social, and institutional strategies were suggested to alleviate and prevent PTSD symptoms of patients injured by medical accidents. Finally, limitations of this study and suggestions for future research were discussed.