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

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2016

The evidence for the existence of a common pathway for health issues in men is presented in this review. Several epidemiological studies have shown that conditions like cardiovascular diseases (CVD), metabolic syndrome, diabetes, lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS), erectile dysfunction (ED), prostate cancer, hypogonadism, depression and suicide can be associated as risk factors for each other. Thus, the risk of CVD is significantly increased in men with metabolic syndrome, ED, hypogonadism, prostate cancer and/or LUTS. In addition, the above mentioned conditions are more prevalent in atherosclerotic patients. In addition, growing evidence indicates that low androgen levels can cause metabolic syndrome. In addition, obesity, dyslipidaemia and diabetes can further reduce androgen levels potentiating their adverse effect. Low testosterone levels are also associated with a higher incidence of aggressive prostate cancer on biopsy and on definitive pathology, and lower probability of abiraterone response in the metastatic setting. Several recent studies point towards diffuse endothelial dysfunction and dysregulated pro-inflammatory state as the biological link between all these disorders. Our current hypothesis is that oxidative stress caused by these dysfunctions explains the pathogenesis of each of these conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.369-384
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• 2009

Research method was a case study as narrative method through in-depth interviews around 21 sufferers of elder abuse in rural area and the researcher interviewed them directly. Conclusively, the majority of sufferers of elder abuse were physically very low in the ADL(activities of daily living) and had been bereaved with no spouse. The relations of abused parents and the adult children were much disagreed and divided as unrecovered. Their economic reliance and physical reliance were much overlapped and the majority of them were low educational background and low income level. In case of the abused old people, they had severe low self respect and melancholy, so they considered severely suicide so much as invaluable as their existing value. In spite of over 80.5 years old average, the abuse action had continued for 6 months to 50 years long and the intensity of the abuse was more strengthened. The majority of abused old people refused mostly the entrance of social welfare facilities for elders and also they desired to live in present living area and their own houses.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.167-177
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• 2018

Purpose: This study examined the factors that affect suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents according to their family type. Methods: The data of the 2017 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used in this study. Out of 62,276, a total of 60,077 adolescents (51,367 adolescents from two-parent families and 8,710 adolescents from single-parent families) were included in the analysis. Results: This study demonstrated that the level of suicidal ideation of the adolescents in single-parent families was significantly higher than that of the adolescents in two-parent families. The factors that affect suicidal ideation among the two-parent family adolescents were gender, grade, economic status, academic performance, smoking, drinking, physical activity, subjective health status, subjective body image, subjective happiness, stress, and depression. The factors that affect suicidal ideation among the single-parent family adolescents included gender, grade, smoking, subjective health status, subjective happiness, stress and depression. Conclusion: Single-parent family adolescents are likely to have a higher level of suicidal ideation along with higher levels of depression and stress and lower levels of subjective health and happiness, compared to single-parent family adolescents. For this higher-risk group of suicidal ideation, more thoughtful attentions and proactive policies are needed to manage their mental health and stress in school and family situations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.92-103
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to prepare basic data for education and policy proposals related to enhancement of happiness by identifying factors affecting the subjective happiness among Korean adolescents by family type. Methods: The study was a secondary analysis using the raw data of the 16th Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2020). A complex sample multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors affecting adolescent happiness by family type. Results: As a result, the factors that commonly affect the subjective happiness of adolescents for all family types were identified as economic status, academic performance, perceived stress, and loneliness. Additional factors that affect the subjective happiness of adolescents of both Korean two-parent and single parent families were sleep and subjective health status. Financial assistance, number of toilets, breakfast, exercise, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt were also reported for Korean two-parent families. Conclusion: This study provided empirical basic data for enhancing adolescent happiness in consideration of priority targets and family composition characteristics by identifying factors affecting subjective happiness by family type. Adolescent happiness is a factor that should be actively pursued at home, school, and society, and it should be the goal of education for holistic growth of students.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 2022

Objectives: Anxiety disorder is among the most prevalent mental illnesses among adolescents. Early detection and proper treatment are important for preventing sequelae such as suicide and substance use disorder. Studies have suggested that sleep duration is associated with anxiety disorder in adolescents. In the present study, we investigated the association between sleep quality and anxiety in a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire was used to evaluate anxiety. The chi-square test was used to investigate and compare the general characteristics of the study population, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between sleep quality and anxiety. Results: In both sexes, anxiety was highly prevalent in participants with poor sleep quality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43 to 1.71 in boys; aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.42 in girls). Regardless of sleep duration, participants with poor sleep quality showed a high aOR for anxiety. Conclusions: This study identified a consistent relationship between sleep quality and anxiety in Korean adolescents regardless of sleep duration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.115-124
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the health risk behaviors, mental health and subjective health status of adolescents in multicultural families and monocultural (Korean) families. This study was conducted to prepare basic data for education and policy proposals related to health promotion of adolescents in multicultural families. Methods: The study was a secondary analysis using the raw data of the 15th Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2019). A complex sample multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to understand the influence of growing up in a multicultural family on health risk behaviors, mental health and subjective health status by comparing the variables to those of monocultural adolescents. Results: Adolescents from multicultural families had a 3.3 times higher rate of drug use experience, 1.89 times higher rate of sexual experience, and 1.24 times higher rate of not wearing seat belts. In addition, the rate of not washing hands and the rate of suicide attempts were 1.34-1.50 times and 1.62 times higher, respectively, compared to adolescents from monocultural families. Conclusion: This study showed that it is necessary to develop appropriate health promotion programs to solve the problems of drug use, sexual intercourse, not wearing seat belts, not washing hands, and attempting suicides, which are more prevalent among adolescents from multicultural families than from monocultural families. It will serve a basic policy for the long-term development and growth of Korea at this critical time when multicultural adolescents are increasing.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.101-110
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the mental health and health risk behaviors of multicultural adolescents according to their mothers' native country. Methods: For this study raw data from the 11th Youth Health Behavior Online Survey (2015) was examined. Mental health and health risk behaviors for 62,985 adolescents were analyzed according to their mothers' native country. Collected data were analyzed with the SPSS program using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis, to which the complex sample design was applied. Results: The odds ratio of depression in multicultural adolescents compared to Korean adolescents was 44.92 (CI: 5.77-349.59) for adolescents whose mothers came from Cambodia and 3.00 (CI: 1.57-5.76) for adolescents whose mothers came from North Korea. The odds ratio of attempted suicide was 14.73 (CI: 3.09-70.22) for adolescents whose mothers came from Cambodia and 8.63 (CI: 3.45-21.62) for adolescents whose mothers came from North Korea. The odds ratio of problematic drinking in multicultural adolescents was 7.47 (CI: 1.71-32.67) for adolescents whose mothers came from Mongolia. Conclusion: Findings indicate that when planning a health promotion program for adolescents from multicultural families, a customized approach should be sought taking into account the characteristics of mothers' native country.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to consider the association between Internet using time for non-educational purposes and adolescent health, and to examine how health status differs between Internet users and non-users. Methods: We analyzed 2009 data from the Korea Adolescent Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, conducted on a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7 to 12. A total of 75 066 adolescents were categorized into four groups according to their Internet using time excluding using for educational purposes: non-Internet users (NIUs), occasional Internet users (OIUs) (<1 h/d), moderate Internet users (MIUs) (${\geq}1$ and <2 h/d), and heavy Internet users (HIUs) (${\geq}2$ h/d). Health factors included eight health risk behavior indices, four mental health indices and six physical health indices. Results: The distribution of Internet use was as follows: NIUs 17.4%, OIUs 68.1%, MIUs 12.7%, and HIUs 1.7%. In multivariate analysis, using OIUs as a reference, U- or J-shaped associations were observed for five health risk behavior indices (current smoking, current drinking, drug abuse, sexual intercourse, sedentary behavior on weekdays) and four mental health indices (stressed, depressed, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide) in both genders. After removing confounding effects, including age, region, school type, subjective school record, subjective economic status, presence of parents, living with family, and sedentary behavior, these associations were still observed. Conclusions: Health professionals should consider both Internet non-users (for non-educational purposes) and heavy users to be high-risk groups in terms of health status. Also, more well-designed studies are needed to clarify what factors are working in these nonlinear associations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2018

Purpose: The leading cause of death among teenagers in Korea is suicide. Also, it is known that mental health of Korean adolescents identified based on the levels of perceived stress or depression is very poor. The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of student mental health programs in Korea and the associated problems and to explore ways to make the programs more effective. Methods: The subjects of the study were a total of 115 school nurses and school counselors in elementary, middle and high schools. The study examined the current status and the associated problems of school mental health programs as well as the needs for teacher training programs related to student mental health. Results: Few mental health programs other than counseling for at-risk students were being carried out. The problems associated with student mental health management were, in terms of management, 'accountability in case of incidents such as student suicide' and 'parents uncooperative in their kid's mental health management (visit to hospital, etc.)' and, in terms of manpower, 'unclear R&R between school nurses and school counselors' and, more fundamentally, 'the lack of human resources.' The needs for teacher training programs related to student mental health were very high and the content required most was 'ways to manage stress of students and teachers themselves,' followed by 'interpersonal conflicts management & conservational skills,' and 'ways to manage student mental illness.' Conclusion: In conclusion, to increase the effectiveness of student mental health programs, we should move on from the current system which focuses only on early discovery and intervention to a more comprehensive system that includes preventive approaches, while having clearer R&R and more workforce dedicated to student mental health programs and attracting more parental cooperation and support.