• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.233-246
• /
• 2021

The present study aimed to investigate whether there would be differences in the severity of PTSD symptoms, self and others concepts between trauma types. Among 166 university students, 61 (simple trauma's n = 31, complex trauma's n = 30) finally met the criteria and completed the Life Events Checklist, Impact of the Event Scale-Revised, and the emotional Stroop task. The results were as follows: firstly, PTSD symptoms were higher in complex trauma group than single trauma group. Secondly, response time in the complex trauma group was longer in the condition that the negative word related to 'self' was presented for 2 seconds compared to the single trauma group. These results suggest that the complex trauma group has different features at least in the severity of PTSD symptoms and the concept of the self, compared with the single trauma group. Finally, the therapeutic implications and limitations of the study were discussed.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.15-26
• /
• 2024

Objectives: The objective of this study is to develop a specialized clinical research protocol for acupuncture treatment specifically designed for disaster survivors based on insights from an expert survey. Methods: An expert panel comprising specialists in neuropsychiatry, acupuncture, and clinical research methodology was assembled. Initial data to inform the clinical research protocol design was collected utilizing open-ended responses, multiple-choice questions, and a 5-point Likert scale to gauge agreement levels. Next, this data was disseminated to a panel of experts. A cohesive clinical research protocol was then formulated during a core panel meeting by integrating insights from a panel of 10 experts. Results: The protocol developed herein entails a non-randomized controlled study involving participants aged 19~64 years old who have been identified as high-risk or cautious according to the National Trauma Center screening test. The study design includes the establishment of an active control group, which allows for the assessment of an additional effect through comparison with conventional therapy. The selected acupuncture approach involves a combination of manual acupuncture and ear acupuncture. For clinical outcome assessment, the Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale for DSM-5 was proposed to gauge trauma symptoms. Representative scales for various domains such as depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, pain, and quality of life were also provided for reference. Conclusions: The developed protocol is anticipated to streamline the swift design and initiation of clinical trials during disaster scenarios. It is also designed to be scalable, thereby enabling its application in both non-randomized control group studies and single-group before-and-after comparisons.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.467-475
• /
• 2023

Background: To mitigate the spread of Covid-19, nurses infected with the virus were required to isolate themselves from their families and community. Isolated patients were reported to have experienced mental distress, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and suicide. Though studies have reported the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, less is known about the lived experiences of nurses who survived Covid-19 infection in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to study the lived experiences of registered nurses who survived Covid-19 disease. In-depth interviews were conducted among nurses diagnosed with Covid-19 from two hospitals in Kenya between March and May, 2021. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit registered nurses. Data were analyzed using Giorgi's steps of analysis. Results: The study included ten nurses between 29 and 45 years of age. Nurses' experiences encompassed three themes: diagnosis reaction, consequences, and coping. Reactions to the diagnosis included fear, anxiety, and sadness. The consequence of the diagnosis and isolation was stigma, isolation, and loneliness. Nurses coping mechanisms included acceptance, creating routines, support, and spirituality. Conclusion: Our findings aid in understanding how nurses experienced Covid-19 infection as patients and will provide evidence-based content for supporting nurses in future pandemics. Moreover, as we acknowledge the heroic contribution of frontline healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is prudent to recognize the considerable occupational risk as they balance their duty to care, and the risk of infection to themselves and their families.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.91-97
• /
• 2017

The purpose of the study was to investigate the fire fighter image through disaster movies in Korea and other countries. From September 1 to 7, 2016, the movie search methods were carried out using movie title and key words via Wikipedia and various internet web sites from 1903 to 2016. The results included that the fire fighters had been considered as the precious person of volunteer activity regarding fire suppression, investigators, and self-sacrifice. Through the convergence and integration review of the disaster movie, this research suggested that the national based establishment of the welfare and safety system for the posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and critical incident stress management(CISM) education program. This study will provide the basic data for the development of welfare and safety management for the fire fighters and let the people know the sacrifice of the fire fighters including the motto, "First in and the last out".

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2017

This study is to improve fire-fighter's mental health by examining the relationship between fire-fighter's resilience and PTSD. The research question of the present study are follows. First, is there any relationship between fire-fighter's demographics and PTSD. Second, is there any relationship between fire-fighter's demographics and resilience. Third, is there any relationship between fire-fighter's resilience and PTSD. The instruments for collecting data of the study were KRO-53 and IES-R-K. These tests were administrated to all of the subjects of the study. The results of the study are as follows. First, fire-fighter's demographics except for department have an influence on PTSD. Second, fire-fighter's counselling experience has an influence on resilience. Third, fire-fighter's resilience has an influence on PTSD. Specially, self-regulation of resilience subtypes has an influence on PTSD. From the above results, The study proposed the following; to prevent PTSD, It is necessary to have specific working system, have specific counseling system, consider individual resilience in selecting fire-fighter and placing department.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.72-81
• /
• 2010

Objectives : Early detection and proper management of distress are known to be important for efficient care in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of distress and to evaluate its influence on quality of life in subjects with breast cancer. Methods : A total of 95 patients were recruited from a breast cancer patient community of a general hospital in Seoul. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS), the Insomnia Severity Index(ISI), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised(IES-R) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast(FACT-B) were measured. Results : The prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom among breast cancer patients was 26.3%, 26.3%, 13.7%, 24.3%, respectively. Nearly half(47.4%) of total subjects were under one or more significant distress, and they showed significantly lower mean FACT-B total score than patients without distress(82.91 vs. 107.20, p<0.001). Distress was negatively correlated with the quality of life to a significant level even in patients who were in normal range of distress scale scores. Conclusion : These results support the importance of regular screening and proper management of distress for breast cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.94-102
• /
• 2010

Objectives : Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing(EMDR) is a novel, time-limited psychotherapy originally developed for treatment of psychological trauma. The effectiveness of this therapy has been validated only for posttraumatic stress disorder ; however, EMDR is often applied to other psychiatric illnesses, including other anxiety disorders and depression. This pilot study tested the efficacy of EMDR added to the routine treatment for individuals with acute stage schizophrenia. Methods : This study was conducted in the acute psychiatric care unit of a university-affiliated training hospital. Inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either three sessions of EMDR, three sessions of progressive muscle relaxation(PMR) therapy, or only treatment as usual(TAU). All the participants received concurrent typical treatments(TAU), including psychotropic medication, individual supportive psychotherapy and group activities in the psychiatric ward. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale were administered by a clinical psychologist who was blinded to the patients' group assignment. Results : Forty-five patients enrolled and forty patients(89%) completed the post-treatment evaluation. There were no between-group differences in the withdrawal rates of patients during the treatment or at the three-month follow-up session. All three groups improved significantly across each of the symptomatic domains including schizophrenia, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. However, a repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant differences among the groups over time. Effect size for change in total PANSS scores was also similar across treatment conditions, but effect size for negative symptoms was large for EMDR(0.60 for EMDR, 0.39 for PMR and 0.21 for TAU only). Conclusion : These findings supported the use of EMDR in treating the acute stage of schizophrenia but the results failed to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment over the two control conditions in three sessions. Further studies with longer courses of treatment, more focused target dimensions of treatment, and a sample of outpatients are necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.61-74
• /
• 2004

Objectives：This study was performed to introduce a psychoeducational family therapy model for the families of schizophrenic patient and to investigate the effect of this model on the changes in coping style and depressive symptoms of the family members, and in perception of emotional support by families and depressive symptoms of patients. Methods：Nine preschool children, 3-5 years old, experiencing physical injuries caused by attack from a psychotic patient at kindergarten, were evaluated for psychological assessments；Intelligence test, MSSB(MacArthur Story-Stem Battery), H-T-P test(House-Tree-Person test). And their parents completed rating scale, KPI-C(Korean Personality Inventory for Children about children’s psychological conditions). Results：With respects to the contents and emotional reactions of MSSB, 9 preschool children showed generally high levels of anxiety, depression, avoidance, aggression, probably related to the traumatic experiences. Even though children couldn't verbally report directly about their traumatic experiences, in both MSSB, structured play narrative assessment tool, and HPT, free drawing and association test, they demonstrated psychiatric problems through reenactment plays, regardless of clinical diagnoses. Conclusion：Present study allowed us the chance to see beyond the outer pathological behaviors of PTSD in preschool children, through deeper evaluations of their mental representation. These preliminary data suggest deep understanding of internal representation would be of help for thorough evaluations and treatment plan for preschool children, experiencing severe trauma.