• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.74-79
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late December of 2019 is rapidly spreading across the globe. The South Korean government has ordered the closure of all schools, as part of its attempts to use social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The effects of the school closures on reducing contagion are generally positive; however, the measure is controversial because of the socioeconomic ripple effect that accompanies it. The author briefly reviewed the existing literature on the mental health aspects of disasters and presents the issues related to school closures due to pandemics, from medical and socioeconomic perspectives and in terms of children's mental health. The results of this review suggest that research on children's mental health in relation to the adoption of school closures as a pandemic mitigation strategy is urgently needed.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.196-202
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effects of school-based short term mental health awareness and school bullying prevention programs. Methods : From April to December 2013, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Promotion team of Seoul National Hospital conducted school-based short term social skill training (N=56, 4 sessions), mental health awareness (N=84, 4 sessions) and school bullying prevention programs (N=171, 1 session) in elementary and junior high schools located in Seoul. The changes in the subjects before and after the program were assessed. Results : The social skills training program improved the 'helping' behaviors in boys (t=-2.355, p<.05) and 'sharing' (t=-3.223, p<.01), 'cooperation' (t=-2.235, p<.05), and 'comforting' (t=-2.830, p<.01) behaviors in girls, assessed using the Prosocial Behavior Questionnaire. The mental health awareness program improved 'general health awareness' (t=2.620, p<.05), measured using the Korean General Health Questionnaire. The school bullying prevention program resulted in decreased 'self esteem' (t=3.769, p<.01), measured using the Self Esteem Scale and decreased 'anger' (t=4.198, p<.01), assessed using the Novaco Anger Scale. Conclusion : The results of our preliminary analysis suggest that school-based mental health awareness and school bullying prevention programs may be effective even when conducted for a short term. Future investigation is necessary in order to validate the long term effects of these programs.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.51-63
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• 2015

Objectives: This study addressed the relationship among communication skill, job satisfaction, and mental health level. Methods: The participants in this study were 222 public health center staff members at 9 community public health centers located in Seoul city and Gyeonggi province. Descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: The main findings are as follows: First, communication skill and job satisfaction showed a significant positive correlation with mental health level. Secondly, some components of mental health level generally showed positive correlations with communication skill and job satisfaction. Third, multiple regression showed that 22% of the variance in the mental health level was explained. Conclusions: Based on these results of this study, we suggested that specialized programs should be established to help in development of social arbitration for public health center staff.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.13-31
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was on the structural analysis of the covariant amount in order to evaluate the suitability of the structural models which can explain and predict the mental health of children on the basis of Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory. Methods: A questionnaire was used to survey 269 children from dysfunctional families out of 5th and 6th grade students from 30 elementary schools in one city and 6 counties, which was analyzed by using PASW Statistics 18.0 and LISREL 8.7 programs. Results: The variable which had influence on the self-esteem was the social support. The variable which had influence on the positive reaction under stress was the stress. The variables which had influence on the negative reaction under stress were stress, and self esteem. The variables which had influence on the mental health were the self-esteem and the negative reaction under stress. The main variables to influence the mental health of children from dysfunctional families turned out to be the self-esteem and the negative reaction under stress to the mental health. Conclusion: Evaluating the suitability of the models, I presented the bases on the practical nursing business. They showed the right directions to the mental health care of children from dysfunctional families.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.419-426
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• 2006

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the mental health of high school students, and specifically that of children with no siblings in urban areas, and we aimed at revealing the various potential influences of different psycho-social factors Methods: The participants were, 514 high school students who were the 1st- to 3rd-graders in Daejon City; they were, given self-administered questionnaires that required no signature during the period of March through June 2005. The analyzed items included the general character of the subjects, the symptoms of stress and depression for mental health, self-esteem as a psychological component, anxiety, dependent behavioral traits and, social support of family members and friends. Results: The study results suggested that the group of urban high school children with no siblings had a higher tendency for stress and depression than did the urban high school children with siblings. The mental health and psychosocial factors were found to be influenced by friends, a sense of satisfaction at school and home life, and emotional support as well. Conclusions: In conclusion, emotional support by the family members can improve mental health by reducing anxiety, stress and depression.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.146-155
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the association between job stress and mental health among male and female workers in a large electric manufacture company. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 3,228 employees who participated in annual medical check-up working in a large electric manufacture company in Gyeonggi Province. Medical check-up and self-administrated questionnaire were performed at the same time. Korean Occupational Stress Scale Short Form (KOSS-SF) and Psychosocial Wellbeing Index Short Form (PWI-SF) were applied to assess occupational stress and mental health. Hierarchical multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression were performed to estimate the association between job stress and mental health. Results: The proportion of high risk of mental health was 17.1% in male, and 46.9% in women. Job stress had a greater effect on mental health than other general and work characteristics. All subscales of job stress were revealed to affect mental health. Bad occupational climate and lack of reward are the strongest risk factors in mental health of male and female respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that job stress could affect mental health among large electronic manufacture workers.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.266-272
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• 2015

Objectives : This study examined the impact of peer's suicide on mental health of middle-school students. The aim of this study was to describe the course of posttraumatic stress and grief reaction, suicide ideation, and depression score among adolescents after exposure to peer's suicide and to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress and other mental health scores in these subjects. Methods : Thirty seven middle school students who were exposed to the suicidal death of a peer completed self-report measures to assess levels of depression, grief reaction, post-traumatic stress, and suicide ideation at 1 month and 8 months after the peer's suicide. Results : There was no significant change in mental health scores between 1 month and 8 months. Level of posttraumatic stress after 8 months was related to acute grief response. Subjects who experienced a clinically significant level of suicidal ideation and posttraumatic stress showed more mental health problems. Conclusion : The results suggested that peer's suicide strongly impacted mental health issues of adolescents at a critical time of adolescent development. Clinicians should perform a thorough evaluation of mental health problems for youth who experienced peer's suicide and help them in management of their grief reaction.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.92-101
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of social pressure related to appearance and body image dissatisfaction on mental health in adolescents. Methods: Participants included 293 high school students. The data were collected from March 4 to 29, 2019, and were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression with SPSS ver. 21. Results: Mental health was positively correlated with social pressure related to appearance and body image dissatisfaction. Factors influencing mental health were peer pressure (β=.28, p<.001) and parental pressure (β=.22, p<.001) related to appearance; body image dissatisfaction (β =.11, p=.034); "high" (β=-.18, p=.004) and "moderate" (β=-.22, p<.001) perceived school achievement; and "satisfied" response to school satisfaction (β=-.27, p=.028). These factors explained 32% of the variance in mental health. Conclusion: These results imply the need to develop effective intervention programs that enhance body image satisfaction to prevent poor mental health in adolescents.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.149-158
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing mental health among late elementary age children. Methods: The research design was a secondary data analysis. Data were collected from 746 students in grades 5 or 6, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS/PC 18.0 program. Results: The average score of mental health was $3.42{\pm}0.55$. There were significant differences in mental health according to health status, economic status, scholastic performance, relationships with friends, relationships with the teachers, atmosphere of the home, number of siblings and the source of trouble. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed influencing factors of stress, negative reaction under stress, self-esteem, teacher support, and friend support support and explained 41.4% of total variance in late elementary age children's mental health. Conclusion: These results may contribute to a better understanding of mental health in late elementary age children. The results of the present study indicate a need to develop nursing interventions to prevent and manage elementary school-age children's negative reaction under stress.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was to examine the effect of postpartum exercise on mental health. Mental health comprises a 9 symptom dimension of Somatization, Obsessive-Compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobic anxiety, Paranoid Ideation, and Psychoticism. Method: A non-equivalent pre-test, post-test control group study was conducted. Fifty-two puerperal women who were admitted to a postpartum ward of a mother-baby clinic in Pusan were recruited; 26 women were assigned to the experimental group and 26 women to the control group. Postpartum exercise was applied to the experimental group from postpartum day 3 for a period of 8 weeks while no exercise program was applied to the control group. Mental health with SCL-90-R was measured before and after exercise. Data was analyzed using mean, $x^2$-test, t-test, and ANOVA by SPSS 10.0. Result: The mental health status in the exercise group did not show a statistically significant decrease when compared to that of the control group. Conclusion: There is no effect of postpartum exercise on women's mental health during the first 8 weeks of the postpartum period. Further studies are needed for randomized clinical trials with a larger sample size.