• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2006

Insomnia is associated with numerous psychiatric and physical conditions, and hyperarousal is known to play an important role in the development of insomnia. There are a lot of limitations to use hypnotic medications for the treatment of insomnia. As psychological factors can greatly affect the development and progress of insomnia, several non-pharmacological treatment methods have been used for insomnia. Biofeedback is effective in the treatment of insomnia and its treatment effect lasts considerably long. Biofeedback together with relaxation techniques can reduce levels of arousal in insomnia patients so that they are effective for induction and maintenance of sleep. In conclusion, biofeedback treatment seems to be very helpful for insomnia patients who show high levels of arousal and have limitations in the use of hypnotic medications.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2007

Fatigue is a significant problem in health care. The relationship between chronic fatigue and psychiatric disorders has generated significant interest in recent years. Increased rates of psychiatric disorder among individuals with chronic fatigue have been reported. Fatigue may be defined as physical and/or mental weariness resulting from exertion. The cause of fatigue is complex, influenced by events occurring in both the periphery and the central nervous system. Because fatigue may result from a number of causes, it should be treated comprehensively. The treatment is largely symptomatic and rehabilitative.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2019

Objectives : Epidemiological studies in other countries show that a low intake of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) increases the risk of depression or suicidality. However, no studies have investigated the associations of suicidality with omega-3 FAs in Korea. Hence, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effects of omega FAs on suicidality in the general South Korean population. Methods : The data in this study were sourced from adults (n=215,860) who completed the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), and the associations between omega FAs and suicidality were analyzed using multivariate logistic regressions. Results : Our results demonstrated that high omega-3 FA intake was associated with a decreased risk of suicide (OR=0.83, 95% CI : 0.71-0.98) and the high omega-6 to omega-3 FA ratio was associated with an increased risk of suicide (OR=1.25, 95% CI : 1.02-1.54). Additionally, a high intake of omega-3 FAs was associated with a decreased risk of suicide in men, but not in women (OR=0.72, 95% CI : 0.59-0.88). Conclusions : Overall, our findings suggest that a lower intake of omega-3 FA is associated with the increased risk of suicidality in the general Korean population, especially in men.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.3-6
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• 2007

Anxiety disorders are common illness to general physician. The comorbidity between anxiety disorders and medical illness is not only a diagnostic issue, but also has implications of the course of the disease and its outcome. The comorbid condition requires consideration of each individual illness, their psychological and physiological condition. This article aims to review the literature on the prevalence of anxiety disorders in patients prescribing to psychiatrists and to discuss pharmacological treatment options for patients with a comorbid anxiety disorder and medical illness.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.103-109
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• 2000

The authors identified a treatment-resistant patient with chronic fatigue syndrome, characterized by chronic fatigue, headache, unrefreshing sleep. Some studies reported that chronic fatigue syndrome was associated with affective disorder, especially seasonal affective disorder and many studies reported that bright light therapy was effective in seasonal affective disorder. But efficacy of light therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome was rarely reported. We treated the patient with morning light treatment using 2500lux light box, the clinical symptoms in this case were improved. The authors suggest that the light therapy can be a treatment modality for chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.110-121
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• 2000

With Cartesian dichotomy, a person's behavior and illness distinguished sharply between "biologically based" phenomena and "psychologically based" phenomena in western country. But a more balanced view that considers both concepts swept into psychiatry in the 1960s and 1970s. And ironically, the revolution of neurosicience and genetics have now reached a level of sophistication that allow it to serve as a bridge between biology and psychosocial environment. So, even subtle changes in the environment can produce biological changes in the brain. We review the history of definitions and relationship of mind and body. And we provide a selective survey of the recent 3 conceptual models of mind-body relationships in general-biopsychosocial model, mental-physical identity theory, organic unity theory-, the relationships of genetic and environment, and stress-diathesis model.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2003

Objectives : This study evaluated the stress of community residents using the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-60, as an instrument of stress measurement. Methods : The study included 2100 residents, aged 20 and over, living in three areas, a large city, a medium sized city and a rural area, between June and September 2001. A questionnaire interviewing method was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Results : In this study, the degree of stress, as measured by the GHQ-60, was shown to be significantly higher in the following categories: females, people over 60 years old, people engaged in the primary industries and labor work, low incomes, the divorced and the bereaved, people who received no more than an elementary education, people who suffer from chronic diseases and non-exercisers. A factor analysis suggested that there were three factors of social dysfunction factors; psychosomatic symptom, and depression and anxiety, The social dysfunction factors was statistically significant for the groups described above. The factor of psychosomatic symptoms was statistically significant in the rural residents, and in the groups describedabove. The depression and anxiety factor was statistically significant in the large city residents, people aged between 20-29 years, students, unmarried persons, university graduates and those having suffered from chronic diseases. From the multiple linear regression analyses, chronic disease, exercise, gender and income, proved to be significant stress related factors Conclusions : This study suggests that special attention should be given to the management of the chronic invalided, non-exercisers, females and snail income earners, in order to maintain and promote the psychological health of residents in a community.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.135-152
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• 1988

Since 1950s' we have come to take a deep interest in matrimonial communication as the theories of family therapy though communication came to extend. In the rapid changing modem society, especially, the dysfunctional aspect of the communication rather than functional one tends to grow high because married couples who suffer from isolation and solitary in social life want to satisfy their unfilled desire through matrimonial communication and apt to be hurt easily by their attitudes and behaviors. When these discrepancies in dysfunctional aspect take place repeatedly, the conflict between married couple which is bad in their psychological effects go from bad to worse and influence their somatic symptoms. This study was attempted to examine the relationship between dysfunctional communication patterns of married couple and complaint degree of housewives psychosomatic symptoms and to use as basic materials focusing on nursing system centered around family, which aims to reach the family centered culture of Korea. To gain the aims, some surveys were peformed at Seoul, Chinju and some areas of Kyeongki province, and the study materials were collected from 70 wives who were encountered by 12 pastrolists majoring in clinical pastrol of ‘Y’ Theological Graduate School and from neurotic patients of those who visited the internal Medicine depts of 1 university hospital and 4 hospitals ‘J’ city, among whom they used dysfunctional communication pattern in their married life. And data collection was peformed from Feb. 22, 1988 to April 22. In the survey, four types of dysfunctional communication presented by Song Sung-Ja were used as the survey tool. And the complaint degree on Psychosomatic symptoms was measured by the classification according to the complaint degree of housewives's psychosomatic symptoms through pretest after content validity, in which the housewives who dysfunctional communication wert surveyed. To learn matrimonial Communication patterns that have an effect on housewives psychosomatic symptoms in the surveyed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2000

This study describes the relationships between aircraft noise and stress and subjective noisy perception by comparing with two areas where the airport is adjacent or not. One area is Yipam-dong and Hak-dong expected to have louder aircraft noise because Kangnung Airport is near the area, and the other area is Songjung-dong as a control. For this study, we used telephone-survey which was targeted to two hundreds people of each area through the random sampling method. The design of the study is cross sectional study and the unit of analysis is a person. As the result of the multiple regression and logistic analysis, under the control of the other control variables, the both stress levels and subjective noisy perception of Yipam-dong and Hak-dong people significantly higher than that of Songjung-dong people and the people graduated middle school had significantly higher both stress levels and subjective noisy perception than the people graduated high school. In the future more studies have to be made that include concrete medical and psychiatric health problems.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2021

Objectives : This study aimed to compare the characteristics of suicide attempts among Korean patients with mixed and non-mixed depression. Methods : Patients who visited the emergency room due to a suicide attempt and participated in the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior study were included. Using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), 111 patients were classified into the mixed depression (n=46) and non-mixed depression groups (n=65). The Koukopoulos Mixed Depression Rating Scale (KMDRS) score was calculated using the MADRS and YMRS scores. Suicide attempt characteristics were evaluated using the Columbia Suicidal Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and Suicide Intent Scale (SIS). Results : In the mixed depression group, the reason item among the ideation intensity score of the C-SSRS was higher, and the deterrent item score was lower. Scores on the timing and suicide note items of the SIS were higher, and scores for overt communication items were lower in the mixed depression group. The KMDRS score was positively correlated with the C-SSRS ideation intensity and total SIS score. After adjusting for additional variables, the KMDRS scores had a significant effect on the C-SSRS ideation intensity and total SIS scores. Conclusions : The mixed depression group showed a difference in the intensity of suicidal ideation and suicidal intention compared to those in the non-mixed depression group. The overall suicidal ideation intensity and suicidal intention increased according to the degree of mixed depression.