• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2009

Objective : This study examined psychiatric characteristics of wounded persons of Daegu subway fire accident occurring in February 2003 after six years. Methods : 103 wounded persons completed psychometric measures at 2 months and 6 years after the accident. Changes of psychiatric symptoms were compared and factors affecting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seriousness were examined. Results : In Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the scores of Psychopathic Deviate (Pd), Masculinity/ Femininity (Mf), Social Introversion (Si) scales were significantly changed over time. The scores of Symptoms Checklist-90-Revision subscales were mostly decreased over time, however, paranoid ideation (PAR) subsclae scores were not significantly changed over time. In all of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-State, Beck Depression Inventory, Impact of Event Scale, and PTSD Checklist-Civilian, mean scores at 6 years after the accident were significantly lower than those at 2 months after the accident. However, STAI-Trait score was not significantly changed over time. Total seriousness of PTSD was found to be affected by quality of sleep. Conclusions : Psychiatric symptoms of subjects were largely improved over time, but distrust and doubt of others were continued. In addition, the wounded persons suffered from sleep problems. Therefore, early and continuous interventions of public institutions and public health specialists are needed for the wounded persons with chronic psychiatric disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.232-241
• /
• 1997

The psychological problems following the experiences of school-violence could be more important than the physical problems. Victims could suffer from fear, depression, anger, lowered self-esteem, suicidal thought, and personality changes. To study the risk factors for school violence and the psychiatric problems after the experiences to school-violence provide us important informations to prevent and solve the problems of school violence. We examined clinical characteristics and psychosocial backgrounds of 13 adolescents who visited the psychiatric clinic after exposures to school violence from September, 1996 to May, 1997. The clinical data included intensity, motivations, durations, and methods of violence, psychiatric symptoms following exposure, findings of psychological test, and treatment course. The socioeconomic data included developmental characteristics of subjects, family characteristics, school life, and peer relationships. Of the 13 adolescents who experienced exposure to violence, 8 have experienced chronic psychiatric disturbances, 5 experienced transient psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, suicidal attempt who eventually returned to home and school life. Of the 8 adolescents who experienced chronic psychiatric disturbances, 4 experienced PTSD and depression lasting 3-6 months more, otherwise 4 showed converted features, such as aggressive behavioral disorder or perpetrator by strong compensatory effects after psychological shock. The subjects who have experienced chronic psychiatric disturbance have clinical characteristics such as physical or emotional abuse, physical illness or handicap, defects of ego functionings, and lack of family support. In summary, victims by school-violence manifested serious psychiatric disturbances, and they had clinically significant risk factors and some of them became perpetrators of school-violence.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.106-113
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and the psychosocial factors associated to the referral to psychiatric care in the suicide attempters visiting emergency center. Methods: We conducted a systematic chart review of 377 suicidal attempters visiting emergency center of the Korea University Ansan Hospital between January 2008 and December 2011. We gathered a data contain 20 items including psychosocial characteristics and factors related to suicide and factors related to psychiatric treatment. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to data to estimate the unique effects of sex, drunken status, companion, suicidal methods, place of suicide and current use of psychiatric medication on the referral to psychiatric care. Results: The female gender(OR=1.63, 95% CI=0.99-2.69), suicidal attempts at home(OR=3.40, 95% I= 1.21-9.56) and drunken state at visit(OR=2.34, 95% CI=1.10-5.01) are the factors that predict the risk of the non-referral of the patients to psychiatric intervention. Place of suicidal attempt was the most important factor do play a role in determining whether referral to psychiatric care will take place or not. Current use of psychiatric medication showed a trend toward significance(p=0.08, OR=1.67, 95% CI=0.95-2.95). Conclusions: These results suggest that when deciding whether to adapt or to refuse the referral to psychiatric care, the factors such as suicidal intent, lethality of suicide methods, familiar factors and alcohol may contribute onto the referral to psychiatric care. Additional research is required to investigate an association of these factors with referral to psychiatric care.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.72-78
• /
• 2005

Objectives : This study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of psychiatric consultation for children and adolescents in a general hospital. Methods : Hospital records of 302 children and adolescents who were referred for psychiatric consultation in a general hospital over 4 years were reviewed and analyzed. Results : The mean referral rate for psychiatric consultation for school age children and adolescents was $2.15\%$. While more girls were referred in middle and high school age group, more boys were referred in pre-school age group. Fifty percent of the consultation was requested from department of internal medicine and pediatrics. Main reason for requesting psychiatric consultation was fur the assessment of the patients from psychiatric point of view $(31.1\%)$, followed by the management of depression $(11.6\%)$ and anxiety $(11.3\%)$. Most frequently rendered psychiatric services for the treatment was psychosocial education and supportive therapy $(21.2\%)$. Conclusion : There are differences in clinical nature of psychiatric consultation and referral patterns between adult patients and child and adolescent patients. Future research is needed to strengthen the services for child and adolescent psychiatric consultation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.416-423
• /
• 2009

Objectives : This study was performed to examine medical care utilization of psychiatric patients and to explore patients' characteristics associated with extended hospitalization. Methods : Data were extracted from information of Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. All data associated with admission and outpatient clinic visit were analysed by patient characteristics. We selected first psychiatric admission patients who diagnosed mental and behavioral disorders due to use of alcohol (main disease code: F10), schizophrenia and related disorders (F20-29) and mood disorders (F30~33) from January to June 2005. We analysed status of admission, mean length of stay, regular access to outpatient clinic and rates of extended hospitalization during 3 years. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with extended hospitalization. Results : The number of psychiatric patients during the first six month of 2005 was 30,678. The mean length of stay was longest for schizophrenia and related disorders but shortest for mood disorders. Patients who experienced an extended hospitalization were 18.8% of total subjects. An extended hospitalization was more common in schizophrenia and related disorders than other diagnostic groups. The factors associated with the extended hospitalization were age, sex, diagnostic group, type of insurance and medical care utilization groups. Conclusions : The study indicates the problem of an extended hospitalization for psychiatric patients in Korea. It is suggested that variations in rates of extended hospitalization among medical care utilization group may need an active early intervention system in psychiatric treatment service. Particular attention needs to be devoted to planning and funding for reducing extended hospitalization.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.11
• /
• pp.455-462
• /
• 2013

This study was to examine the recognition and guarantee for psychiatric patients' rights of mental health care workers. The participants of this study were 231 mental health care workers from 10 mental health care institutions located in J city, Korea. Data was collected using questionnaires consisting of one instrument measuring participants' recognition and guarantee for psychiatric patients' rights, and participants' characteristics. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA with SPSS 12.0. The results of this study showed the mental healthcare workers' recognition and guarantee were significantly different in every subscales. Besides, the difference between recognition and guarantee toward psychiatric patients' rights was significantly associated with participants' occupations. Based on the findings, guiding where nursing education efforts should be focused to help putting in place the psychiatric patients' rights.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.25-30
• /
• 2008

With the rapid growth of geriatric population, geriatric psychiatric consultation has come to play a more important role in recent years. It is necessary to find out characteristics of psychiatric consultation-liaison in elderly and applicate practical guideline of consultation in medical setting. Management of medically ill elderly in psychiatric consultation requires different guideline from that of other age group patient. Because aging and each organ-specific diseases change the pharmacokinetics of psychotropic drugs variably. These pharmacokinetic changes should be considered in psychosomatic treatment in medically ill elderly. The relatively low consultation rates for psychiatric disorders in the elderly indicate that research is needed into factors that both prevent and facilitate elderly patients with psychological symptoms from consulting their general practitioners.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.31-43
• /
• 1995

Recently, the methods that measure and analyze brain electrical activity quantitatively have been available with the rapid development of computer technology. The quantitative electroencephalography(QEEG) is a method of computer-assisted analyzing brain electrical activity. The QEEG allows for a more sensitive, precise and reproducible examination of EEG data than that can be accomplished by conventional EEG. It is possible to compare various EEG parameters each other by using QEEG. Neurometrics, a kind of the quantitative EEG. is to compare EEG characteristics of the patient with normative data to determine in what way the patient's EEG deviates from normality and to discriminate among psychiatric disorders. Nowadays, QEEG is far superior to conventional EEG in its detection of abnormality and in its usefulness in psychiatric differential diagnosis. The abnormal findings of QEEG in various psychiatric disorders are also discussed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.31-39
• /
• 2014

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the psychiatric status of HIV-infected/AIDS inpatients in a general hospital over the past 2.5 years. Methods : A retrospective chart review was conducted of psychiatric consultations performed between January 1, 2011, and July 30, 2013. The records of 97 HIV-infected/AIDS patients were analyzed. These included a total of 282 psychiatric consultations. Results : Of the 97 patients, 91(93.8%) were male, the mean age was 48 years, and mean number of consultations was 2.8. Depressed mood was reported in 102 consultations(23.8%), insomnia in 60(14.0%), and anxiety in 31(7.2%). Psychiatric disorders diagnosed on initial consultation included depressive disorder(37 patients ; 37.0%), cognitive disorder(11 ; 11.0%), and delirium(9 ; 9.0%). Recommended psychotropic medication included Lorazepam(99 ; 17.2%), Escitalopram(90 ; 15.7%), and Quetiapine(84 ; 14.6%). Conclusions : The main complaints of HIV-infected/AIDS patients were depressed mood, insomnia, and suicidal ideation(including suicide attempts). In total, 85(93.3%) patients of those consulted were diagnosed as meeting the criteria for a psychiatric condition. However, considering that only 16.9% of patients consulted received follow-up treatment, longitudinal research is needed to examine the influence of psychiatric disorders on the transmission of HIV-infection/AIDS, as well as on prognosis and treatment adherence.

• Journal of Naturopathy
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.85-92
• /
• 2022

Background: Research is necessary to enhance the mental health of psychiatric unit nurses and the quality of nurse services. Purpose: This study was to obtain primary data for enhancing the psychological well-being of psychiatric nurses by investigating the factors that affect them. Methods: This study was conducted as a descriptive research study. The study period was from February 18 to March 31, 2019, with the subjects being 150 psychiatric nurses working in the ward of a psychiatric hospital in Gyeongnam. We used questionnaires on job stress measurement, the Korean version of the interpersonal response index, resilience scale, and psychological well-being. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Results: The subjects' levels of the job stress, empathy, resilience, and psychological well-being ranged from 2.34 to 3.33 points. The level of recovery resilience and well-being according to the subject's characteristics is 40 years or older, married, religious, ten years of nurse experience, above average economic level, psychiatric qualifications, senior nurse or higher, resilience education. All participants were significantly (p < .001). Conclusions: In this study, psychological well-being increased as the job stress was low and empathy and resilience were high. Therefore, it should make a proper education program to improve the strength and well-being of psychiatric nurses.