• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2005

Most suicides(about 90%) occur in the context of psychiatric disorders. Prediction of suicide risk in patients with mental illness is very important in preventing suicide attempts. However, current approaches to predict suicidality are based on clinical history and have low specificity and biological markers are not yet included. Many studies have explored the association between different biological parameters and suicidality. Studies of cerebro-spinal fluid(CSF) demonstrated that 5-HIAA and HVA levels were lower in patients with a history of suicide. Platelet serotonin transporter and the 5-HT2 serotonin receptor have also been studied in relation to violence and suicide. Depressive patients with greater suicidal tendency had significantly lower cholesterol concentrations but some researchers failed to find the correlation. DST non-supression is reported to predict suicidality in major depression. Several studies demonstrated a relationship between intron 7 polymorphism of tryptophan hydroxylase and suicidal behavior. Since suicide is not occurred in a single disease, the systematic and comprehensive study in large samples with various diagnoses is necessary to find the biological and genetic predictors of suicidal behavior.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.120-128
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• 2015

Objectives : The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a commonly used psychological test measuring personality and psychopathology in both clinical and non-clinical population. This study was to evaluate characteristic MMPI-2 profile associated with the risk of suicide among college students. Methods : We analyzed the survey response of 2,964 college students who participated in a health survey from a school health center at a national university in 2011. Those who endorsed any of six items on the suicidaity module of MINI were classified as a suicide risk group and remaining students who did not as a control group. Then we compared the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score, the MMPI-2 Clinical scales and Restructured Clinical (RC) scales. To evaluate the correlation RC scales with suicidality score, Pearson correlation analysis was performed. Results : The suicide risk group was 464 students, and the control group was 2,500. The classification result of suicidality, 255 (8.6%) students were low-risk group, 149 (4.8%) students were moderate-risk group and 60 (2.0%) students were high-risk group. In the suicide risk group, VRIN, F scale, Clinical scale and RC scales were significantly higher. In the control group L, K and S scales were significantly higher. Suicidality score has significant correlation with all RC scales. Conclusion : In the suicide risk group, overall psychopathology was higher than the control group. Taken together, features of depressive symptom, antisocial behavior, aggressiveness, introversion may indicate the risk of suicide in college students. These results display both clinical and public health implications for clinicians and school health professionals.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.345-356
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• 2015

This study analyzed the health risk behavior of Korean college students by comparing them based on the college location (Seoul vs. non-Seoul). Converging analyses of health risk behaviors (drinking behavior, sex, suicidality) and health risk factors (mental health, stress) were attempted. The results showed the 23% of students were at risk of serious drinking problem, and the 52.6% of students consumed alcohol once in every other week or more often. In case of the sexual behavior, 40.6% had sexual experience. Importantly, the 25.4% and the 20.3% of college students in Seoul and non-Seoul area, respectively, had two or more sexual partners. Also, students in non-Seoul area had a tendency of the higher level of suicidality, and the lower level of mental health. Overall, the self-respect score was the only statistically significant factor showing the Seoul/non-Seoul difference. These results may be able to intervene the health risk behaviors of college students.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 2020

Suicidality is the most serious complication of mood disorders and psychosis; effective treatment should reduce suicide rates. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development age-standardized suicide rate in Korea was 22.6 in 2018, much higher compared to other countries worldwide. As mental and psychiatric problems are the main reasons for suicide attempts, accounting for 31.6% in 2018, targeting such problems should be the focus of efforts to reduce suicide rates. However, the ability of current pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic interventions to reduce suicide rates is limited due to their delayed effects. Therefore, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been proposed as an alternative treatment. This approach is effective for treating most mental disorders associated with high suicide rates, including severe depression, bipolar disorder, and intractable psychotic disorders; ECT is also effective for Parkinson's disease, which has the highest suicide rate among all disorders in Korea. The acute, long-term, and prophylactic effects of ECT on suicidality have been reported in the literature, and treatment guidelines outside of Korea recommend that ECT be used at an early stage for rapid reduction of suicide rates, as opposed to being applied as a treatment of last resort. However, only ~0.092 of every 10000 members of the Korean general population received ECT in 2018; this is much lower than the average rate worldwide, of 2.2 per 10000. Elimination of obstacles to the use of ECT, early crisis intervention involving administration of ECT for rapid stabilization, and maintenance ECT to prevent recurrence should reduce suicide rates.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2018

Objectives : Insufficient sleep could have harmful effects on mental health. We examined the mental health status of Korean adolescents according to daily sleep time and subjective sleep satisfaction using a nationwide representative sample of Korean adolescents. Methods : Data from the 2016 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used. Sleep duration on weekdays and subjective sleep satisfaction during the past week were asked. Participants' perceived health, happiness, stress, depressive mood, and suicidality during past 12 months were also investigated. Participants were classified by mean duration of daily sleep time and the level of sleep satisfaction, and the odds of having mental health problems were compared. Results : Compared to adolescents who slept more than 6 hours per day and satisfied with their sleep, adolescents who slept less than 6 hours per day and/or dissatisfied with their sleep were less likely to perceive themselves healthy and happy. They were also more likely to have severe stress, depressive mood, and suicidality, with highest odds ratios among adolescents with both short and dissatisfying sleep. Conclusions : Given the significant associations between sleep insufficiency and mental health problems, attention to the sleep shortage among Korean adolescents is needed. Prospective studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationships between subjective and objective sleep insufficiency and psychiatric conditions.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2015

Objectives: To understand the risk factors of demographic data in geriatric depression scale, and suicidality among in elderly who live alone at one urban region. Methods:In 2009, 589 elderly who live alone(age${\geq}$65) were carried out a survey about several socio-demographic data, Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale(SGDS-K) and Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Statistical analysis was performed for the collected data. Results: Mean age of elderly who live alone is 75.69(SD 6.17). 40.1% of participants uneducated, 31.4% graduate from elementary school, 12.9% graduate from high school, 11.7% graduate from middle school, 3.2% graduate from university. Religionless, having past history of depression or physical diseases, low subjective satisfaction of family situation, and not having any social group activity have significance to depressive symptoms of elderly who live alone. Having past history of depression, religionless, low subjective satisfaction of family situation have significance to suicidality. Especially, low subjective satisfaction of family situation and having past history of depression are powerful demographic factor both depressive symptoms and suicidality of elderly who live alone. Conclusions: When we take care elderly who live alone, we should consider many things, but especially the social support network such as family satisfaction and past history of depression for reducing or preventing their depression and suicide both elderly depression and suicide who live alone.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.244-251
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• 2006

Depression is a frequent cause of suicide. Although there have been reports that SSRIs might increase suicidal ideations and behaviors, most studies found antidepressants are effective treatments of suicidal ideations and behaviors. Antidepressants have also been shown to have prophylactic effects in preventing suicidal behaviors. Most double-blind studies do not suggest a causal relationship between antidepressant and the increased suicidality. Our review results suggest that the undertreatments of depression are more significant problems with the use of antidepressants in suicidal patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2014

Objectives The current study investigated the putative relationship between chronotype and suicidality or bipolarity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Method Nineteen outpatients who met the criteria for MDD according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-text revision were recruited for the current study. The subjects were divided into two subgroups based on their Basic Language Morningness (BALM) scores (dichotomized according to the median BALM score). The Loudness Dependence of Auditory Evoked Potentials (LDAEP) was evaluated by measuring the auditory event-related potentials before beginning medication with serotonergic agents. In addition, K-Mood Disorder Questionaire (K-MDQ), Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) were applied. Results The K-MDQ, BSS, BHS, BIS score was higher for the eveningness group than for the morningness group. However, the LDAEP, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores did not differ significantly between them. There were negative correlations between the total BALM score and the total K-MDQ, BSS, and BHS scores (r=-0.64 and p=0.0033, r=-0.61 and p=0.0055, and r=-0.72 and p=0.00056, respectively). Conclusions Depressed patients with eveningness are more vulnerable to the suicidality than those with morningness. Eveningness is also associated with bipolarity.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2009

Introduction: There has been an increasing interest in the relationship between sleep and suicidality. In addition, suicidal patients habitually report their sleep problems. Although sleep-related complaints and electroencephalographic changes are generally encountered in psychiatric disorders, sleep complaints such as insomnia, hypersomnia and nightmares are more common in suicidal patients. In current study, we aimed at investigating the relationship between self-reported sleep duration and suicidality in general population. Methods: One thousand general population (male:female=500:500, mean age=$39.6{\pm}11.6$ years, ranged age=20-77 years) completed Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression (CES-D), Beck Suicide Intent scale (BSI), Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), Morningness-Eveningness Scale (MES) and brief questionnaire of sleep habits. Results: After controlling for age and sex, score of BSI was correlated positively with the score of CES-D, STAXI and BIS on partial correlation analysis ($r_p$=0.251; p<0.001, $r_p$=0.352; p<0.001, and $r_p$=0.175; p<0.001, respectively). In addition, score of BSI was inversely correlated with the score of MES (rp=-0.066; p=0.037). However, score of BSI showed no significant correlation with sleep duration. However, regression analysis revealed that short (<6 hrs) or long (>10 hrs) sleep duration, the family history of psychiatric illness, the score of CES-D, and the score of STAXI predicted higher score of BSI significantly in total subjects (F=17.837, adjusted $R^2$=0.166; p=0.003, p=0.003, p<0.001, and p=0.003, respectively). This model was explained better in depressed subjects with 16 or higher score of CES-D (F=9.920, adjusted $R^2$=0.298). Conclusion: Current result suggested that not only short sleep duration (<6 hrs) but also long sleep duration (>10 hrs) might be related to suicidality.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2003

Objectives：This study was aimed at examining the emotional predictors of adolescent suicidal ideas in a community. Methods：The subjects were 1909 middle and high school students(936 males, 973 females) in Koyang-shi. We evaluated all subjects using Center for Epidemiologic Study for Depression(CES-D), Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale(RCMAS), Korean-Youth Self Report(K-YSR), Psychological Self-1 of Offer's Self Image Questionnaire(PS-1 of OSIQ) and Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). We compared the PS-1 of OSIQ scores of Anxious-depressive group(above cut-off points of CES-D, RCMAS and K-YSR) to those of control group, and conducted correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis to all subjects. Results：The number of anxious-depressive group was 126(6.58%) among 1909 subjects with significant gender difference(M：F ratio 1：1.5). Both PS-1 of OSIQ and SIQ scores were significantly higher in Anxious-depressive group than in control group. There were significant correlations among the scales：CES-D, RCMAS, A/D of K-YSR, PS-1 of OSIQ and SIQ. Through stepwise multiple regression analysis, we found that significant predictors of suicidal idea were CES-D, RCMAS and A/D of K-YSR. Conclusion：Anxious-depressive adolescents may be the high-risk group for suicidality and need preventive interventions of suicidality in a community.