• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2004

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate alexithymia, depressive symptoms, and stress response of patients with alcohol dependence. The results were taken as a basic data of ameliorating the quality of life. Methods: 94 patients with alcohol dependence completed stress response inventory, Korea depression scale, and toronto alexithymia scale successfully. Results: 55% of variance of alexithymia of patients with alcohol dependence were explained by the stress response and depressive symptoms and score of ADS, and the stress response had the most explanatory power. Conclusions: The alexithymia of patients with alcohol dependence may be influenced by depressive symptoms, education, frequency of drinking, and stress response. The specialists were identifying symptoms of depression and optimizing the management, therefore increasing the compliance and quality of life of patients with alcohol dependence.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the various aspects of stress in patients with chronic prostatitis. Methods : Thirty two chronic prostatitis patients meeting the criteria of NIH-category III were compared with sixty four controls. Data pertaining to the source of, response to, and coping with stress, as well as chronic prostatitis symptom index were collected using a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a Global Assessment of Recent Stress(GARS), Stress Response Inventory(SRI), Ways of Coping Checklist(WCC), in addition to the NIH-CPSI. Results : From the results of GARS subscales, the scores of changes in relationship, sickness or injury and financial were significantly higher in patients with chronic prostatitis than normal controls. Chronic prostatitis patients had greater amplification of somatization, depression and anger in SRI and significantly lower score in ways of coping checklist compared with controls. In the NIH-CPSI of chronic prostatitis patients, the degree of symptom played a role in depression as stress response item and significant negative correlationship between the symptom point and problem focused, seeking social support coping strategy was observed. Conclusion : These results show that patients with chronic prostatitis have greater stress, higher stress response and insufficient coping strategy. Therefore, these efforts should be considered that enhancing healthier coping strategy and evaluation and management of stress experienced by chronic protatitis patients

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2002

The main purpose of this study was to identify the effect of stress management program on the perceived stress, stress response, ways of coping of nurses.The data were collected from September 22 to December 21, 1997. The subjects were 45 emergency nurses of three university hospital located in seoul ; 25 assigned for the experimental group and 20 for the control group.The stress management program was composed of cognitive training, behavioral training and progressive muscle relaxation. The subjects of the experimental group carried out the 15-minute progressive muscle relaxation according to recorded-tape once a day for 6 weeks. The cognitive and the behavioral training were conducted by the investigator for 5～8 subjects at a time for 9 series, at an interval of 4～5days.The instruments used in the study was the perceived stress scale developed by Levenstein et al.(1993), Symptoms of stress Inventory(1991), and ways of coping scale developed by Lazarus & Folkman(1984).The data were analyzed by SAS program, using descriptive statistics, χ2-test, t-test, paired t-test.The results were as follows :1.　The perceived stress of experimental group was lower than that of the control group. However, no significant difference between the two groups was revealed.2.　The stress response of experimental group was reduced after stress management program and the stress response of control group was reduced after stress management program. but no significant difference between the two groups was revealed.3.　The problem oriented coping of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, however no significant difference between the two groups was revealed.4.　The emotional oriented coping of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group, however no significant difference between the two groups was revealed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2000

Objectives : The object of this study was to make a comparison regarding perceived stressor, perceived stress responses, and coping strategies between patients with gastric ulcer and patients with chronic gastritis. Subject and Methods : Subjects consisted of 40 patients with gastric ulcer and 100 patients with chronic superficial gastritis. Global assessment of recent stress(GARS) scale and perceived stress response inventory(PSRI) were used to measure perception for stressors and stress responses. Coping scale was used to measure coping strategies. Results : Scores of perceived stress related to work or job, changes in relationship on GARS scale were significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcer than those with chronic gastritis. Scores of perceived stress responses related to general somatic symptom, specific somatic symptom, passive-responsive and careless behavior on PSRI were significantly higher in patients with chronic gastritis than those with gastric ulcer. Scores of seeking social support, escape-avoidance on coping scale were significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcer than those with chronic gastritis. Conclusion : The above results suggest that perception for stressors were likely to be higher in patients with gastric ulcer than those with gastritis, whereas perception for stress responses were likely to be higher in the latter than the former. It is also suggested that patients with gastric ulcer were likely to use more dependent and passive coping strategies than patients with gastritis.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2011

Objectives Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between depression, stress, and obesity indexes. Methods This study was performed in 110 healthy overweight and obese(BMI${\geq}23\;kg/m^2$) women in Korea. Subjects underwent abdominal CT(computed tomography) scanning and were asked to complete Beck depression inventory(BDI), social readjustment rating scale(SRRS), and stress response inventory(SRI) questionnaires. Weight, body-mass index(BMI), waist circumference(WC), and waist-hip ratio(WHR) were evaluated. Subjects were given written consent and this study was performed under permission of institutional review board of KyunHee University Hospital at Gangdong. Results 1. BDI and SRI were significantly correlated with VFA(visceral fat area)(p<0.05). However, other obesity indexes were not significantly correlated with BDI and SRI(p>0.05). 2. SRRS was not significantly correlated with all obesity indexes(p>0.05). Conclusions This study suggests that depression and stress might be correlated with visceral fat, and this result would be helpful for planning a treatment schedule of obese patients with depression or stress in the clinic.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.1
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• pp.129-136
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• 2014

This study aims to investigate the effect of frequency of using forest environment on workers' stress. Workers in medical and counseling industry, which is recently known to require heavy emotional burden and thus cause a lot of stress and burnout syndrome, participated in the study. We classified 370 subjects, who were working at medical and counseling service institutions in Seoul metropolitan area, into two groups according to frequency of using forest environment by conducting a screening survey. 69 subjects submitted written consent and were recruited for either forest therapy program or control-group test; the "high" group (n=27) at the high frequency of using forest environment and the "low" group (n=42) at the low level. We measured the level of stress by using psychosocial indicators such as Worker's Stress Response Inventory (WSRI), Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ), and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and biological ones such as heart rate variability (HRV), cortisol, and Natural Killer cell (NK cell). The results suggested that the level of stress differed by frequency. The "high" group showed significantly low scores in the depression and work sub-scale and the total score of WSRI, emotional exhaustion, professional efficacy and total score of MBI-GS, and high scores in the total score of REQ. Similar tendencies were observed in the most of other indicators of psychosocial measures. Regarding the biological indicators, the "high" group showed the highest SDNN, RMSSD and TP measures of HRV and NK Cell activity and the low cortisol, although the statistical power did not reach the significant level. Our results suggest that the subjects who use forest environment frequently show favorable stress level both psychologically and biologically.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2003

Objective: The purposes of this study were to investigate anxiety and depression that can mediate stress and elicit a response from the women with urinary incontinence and compare the anxiety and depression level before and after treatment of extracoporeal magnetic innervation. Method: Fifty-five women with urinary incontinence were included from a obstetrics and gynecology cilnic. Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) were administered before and after treatment of extracoporeal magnetic innervation. Results: The women with urinary incontinence had higher levels of anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression were reduced after treatment of extracoporeal magnetic innervation regardless of improvement incontinence. Conclusion: Therapies including extracoporeal magnetic innervation may be intrumental in improving anxiety and depression, If the patient do not show improvements of anxiety and depression after treatment for their urologic disorder or if the therapy is unsuccessful, appropriate referral is indicated.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.126-135
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• 1998

The object of this study was to investigate the relationship between stress and the extent of coronary artery stenosis in 101 patients with coronary artery diseases. Global assessment of recent stress(GARS) scale and perceived stress response inventory were used to measure perception for stressors and stress responses. Biological variables such as the extent of coronary artery stenosis, the number of the affected lesions on coronary angiography, serum Low Density Lipoprotein(LDL)-cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein(HDL)-cholesterol, and total cholesterol were measured in all the subjects. Scores of perceived stress related to changes in relationship and overall global scores on GARS scale had significantly positive correlation with the extent of coronary artery stenosis. On the other hand, scores of percieved stress related to changes in relationship and changes or no changes in routine had significantly positive correlation with the number of the lesions. Scores of perceived stress related to change or no change in routine also positively correlated with serum level of LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol. In contrast, general somatic symptoms negatively correlated with the extent of coronary artery stenosis. Impulsive-aggressive behavior negatively correlated with the number of the lesions. However, impulsive-aggressive thinking positively correlated with LDL-cholesterol. The above results suggest that perception for stressors may negatively affect the extent of coronary artery stenosis, the number of the lesions, serum LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol. However, some stress responses showed inconsistent effect on the above biological variables. Thus, strategies designed to modify perception for stressors and some stress responses are likely to help the patients minimize the extent of coronary artery stenosis and prevent the diseases.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.361-368
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• 2020

This study aims to examine whether the use of a spinal column thermal massage device for patients with muscle pain is effective in improving muscle pain, and to verify whether it is also effective in improving affective depression and stress. To this end, 16 study participants (male 31.25%) were treated with a thermal massage device during 5 sessions a week for 4 weeks and 40 minutes per session. According to the study results, the subjective pain level changed by a rate of VAS -46.32% and PDI -44.86%; a significant decrease was observed in, both, VAS and PDI. The depression and stress levels changed by a rate of BDI -21.84% and SRI -11.48%; a significant decrease was observed in, both, BDI and SRI. Therefore, the use of a thermal massage device to treat patients with muscle pain is expected to have a positive effect in improving not only subjective muscle pain, but also depression and stress.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.766-772
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• 2023

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is an effective anti-stress treatment. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential effects of KRG on relieving stress in a general population using transcriptome analysis. Methods: We conducted an 8-week clinical pilot study on 90 healthy men who reported stress. The study was completed by 43 participants in the KRG group and 44 participants in the placebo group. Participants were randomized 1:1 to the KRG and placebo groups. We evaluated the stress by stress response inventory (SRI) at baseline and 8 weeks. The main outcomes were changes in the levels of neurotransmitters (NTs) and NT-related gene expression. NTs were analyzed using automated (GC) content, and levels of gene expression were measured by reads per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (RPKM). Results: The KRG group showed significantly preserved epinephrine decrease compared with placebo group at 8 weeks (changes in epinephrine, KRG vs. placebo; -1623.2 ± 46101.5 vs. -35116.3 ± 86288.2, p = 0012). Among subjects who higher SRI score, meaning stress increased compared to baseline, the KRG group showed a smaller decrease in serotonin than the placebo group (changes in serotonin, KRG vs. placebo; -2627.5 ± 5859.1 vs, -8087.4 ± 7162.4, p = 0.005) and a smaller increase in cortisol than the placebo group (changes in cortisol, KRG vs. placebo; 1912.7 ± 10097.75 vs. 8046.2 ± 8050.6 , p = 0.019) in subgroup analysis. Transcriptome findings indicated that KRG intake affects gene expression related with metabolism of choline, adrenalin, and monoamine. Conclusion: These findings suggest that KRG has beneficial effects on the amelioration of stress response in NTs, and this effect is more prominent in stressful situations. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the anti-stress effect of KRG.