OBJECTIVE: The association of offender mental illness (including those on probation) with crime has long been the subject of social interest; however, systematic management has been insufficient. The study purpose was to analyze mental illness prevalence, proportion of first offenses and recidivism with the mental illness of those on probation. METHODS: A total of 206 adults on probation were divided into groups (first offenders and repeat offenders) and they completed self-report instruments and clinical interviews designed to diagnose mental illness. RESULTS: The mental illness prevalence among those on probation was considerably higher than that of the general population, and having mental illness was related to re-sentencing probation or recidivism. In particular, alcohol use disorder, major depressive episode, manic/hypomanic episode, and antisocial personality disorder were shown to affect recidivism. CONCLUSION: To achieve the ultimate purpose of probation, social and systematic intervention on a mental health and medical basis may be required.
Adult* ; Antisocial Personality Disorder ; Crime ; Criminals ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Mental Health* ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationships between the body mass index, body weight perception, and depressed mood in a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed the data from the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey and evaluated the relationships between the body mass index, body weight perception, and depressed mood by gender (36655 boys and 35780 girls). RESULTS: For boys, a low body mass index and perceiving oneself as underweight were related to depressed mood. For girls, both low and high body mass indices were negatively related to depressed mood. In addition, self-perceptions of being underweight or overweight were positively related to depressed mood. Body weight perception was not a significant mediator in the relationship between body mass index and depressed mood. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that both body mass index and body weight perception significantly contribute to Korean adolescents' depressed mood. Thus, research and clinical attention needs to be given to underweight as well as overweight adolescents, because those who perceive their weight as not normal are at risk for depression.
Adolescent* ; Body Mass Index* ; Body Weight* ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Overweight ; Risk-Taking ; Self Concept ; Thinness

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare levels of parenting stress and efficacy in mothers of children suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and internet addiction disorder (IAD), mothers of children with ADHD alone only, and those with normal children. METHODS: Participants were composed of 25 mothers of children with ADHD and IAD, 35 mothers of children with ADHD alone, and 50 mothers of normal children. They completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC). RESULTS: In comparison with the mothers of normal children, the mothers of children with ADHD and IAD and the mothers of children with ADHD alone showed significantly higher levels of parenting stress and lower parenting efficacy. However, a comparison of mothers of children with ADHD and IAD with those of children with ADHD alone did not show any significant differences in their levels of parenting stress or efficacy. CONCLUSION: Mothers of children with ADHD, regardless of the presence of IAD exhibited a higher level of parenting stress and a lower level of parenting efficacy than mothers of normal children.
Child ; Humans ; Internet ; Mental Competency ; Mothers ; Parenting ; Parents ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate weight and height status and their relationship with psychological problems among elementary schoolchildren. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 405 schoolchildren (211 boys and 194 girls, aged: 10-13 years), living in Seoul, Korea, participated in this study. The participants were divided into 3 groups according to their weight and height standard deviation score. Psychological assessments were performed using the Korean-Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). RESULTS: In this study, 34.4% of boys and 32.1% of girls showed dissatisfaction with their weight, whereas 26.2% of boys and 30.2% of girls showed dissatisfaction with their height. The obese group showed higher weight dissatisfaction than the normal or underweight groups (p < 0.001). The short stature group showed higher dissatisfaction in their height than the normal group (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in total CBCL problems score according to weight or height status. The underweight and obese groups had higher score for social problems than normal weight group (p < 0.05 respectively). There were no significant differences in each CBCL problem score by height status. As a whole, the prevalence rate of a CBCL total problems score in the clinical range was 3 percent (12/405). These children showed no difference in terms of weight or height, compared with normal students. Among the factors related, only school performance was negatively correlated with the total problems score (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Approximately one-third of elementary schoolchildren were dissatisfied with their height or weight. Although their total CBCL psychological problem scores were closely related with school performance, they did not show any significant relation with height or weight status. Contrary to the general view, our study suggests that psychological problems of elementary schoolchildren may be related more with their school performance than their body physique.
Adolescent ; *Body Height ; *Body Weight ; Child ; Child Behavior/*psychology ; Child Behavior Disorders/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Obesity/psychology ; Thinness/psychology

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the compliance, efficacy, and satisfaction associated with methylphenidate and atomoxetine for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: The subjects were 44 patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-5 diagnostic criteria for ADHD and were treated with methylphenidate or atomoxetine. The methylphenidate formulations included immediate release (IR), extended release (ER), and osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system (OROS). Patients and parents reported the average number of days per week the medication was taken. Efficacy was assessed using the ADHD Rating Scale. Satisfaction with medication scale (SAMS)–parent report form and SAMS–self-report form were used to evaluate parents’ and patients’ satisfaction, respectively. Results: Patients and parents were more satisfied with methylphenidate than with atomoxetine. There were no significant differences in the compliance with and efficacy of methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Compliance with methylphenidate IR and ER was markedly lower than that with OROS methylphenidate or atomoxetine. Conclusion Methylphenidate OROS formulation can be considered a suitable option given its high rates of compliance, satisfaction, and efficacy.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore how the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the mental health of university hospital nurses with a focus on their resilience, stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep. Methods: A total of 220 nurses working at a university hospital in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic participated in this study. The collected data were subjected to analysis based on the percentage, mean, standard deviation, Kruskall-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, and Pearson correlation coefficient using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 program. Results: The range of the Brief Resilience Scale was 1.3 to 5.0 (3.2±0.6), Perceived Stress Scale was 4 to 34 (18.6±5.3), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was 2 to 17 (7.4±3.1), Patient Health Questionnaire was 0 to 18 (5.0±4.0), and General Anxiety Disorder-7 was 0 to 16 (3.4±3.4). The range of the difference in job stress before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak was -5 to +7 (2.2±1.9). There was a negative correlation between the nurses’ resilience and stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep. Conclusion Most of the nurses experienced high levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health of nurses should be carefully monitored with interest, and various compensatory systems should be developed to help them cope with the situation.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated quality of life in Korean juvenile inmates with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the impact of behavioral and emotional problems on quality of life. METHODS: In total, 200 inmates were evaluated using the Korean version of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (K-MINI) and the Korean version of the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL-K). We extracted the inmates with ADHD and evaluated their quality of life, behavioral problems, and emotional problems with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and the Korean Youth Self Report (K-YSR) scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Among the 200 total inmates, 68 were diagnosed with ADHD by the K-SADS-PL-K. Most of the correlations between PedsQL scores and K-YSR items were significant. Multiple regression analysis showed that PedsQL could be predicted by affective problems (among the DSM-oriented scales of the K-YSR) and attention problems (among the syndrome scales of the K-YSR). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that, among juvenile inmates with ADHD, quality of life was negatively correlated with most behavioral and emotional problems. Meanwhile, the significant influence of affective and attention problems on inmates' quality of life suggests the necessity of comprehensive treatments for this group.
Adolescent ; Affective Symptoms ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Problem Behavior ; Quality of Life ; Self Report ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of attention, intellectual functioning and adaptation of girls with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The scores of the ADHD Diagnostic System (ADS), the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (K-WISC-III) and the Korean Personality Inventory for Children (KPI-C) were compared between 26 girls with ADHD and 26 boys with ADHD. RESULTS: 1)There was no significant gender difference in the intellectual functioning, except for the picture completion subscale. 2) Compared to the boys, the girls responded more slowly on the ADS visual task. 3) The girls were rated higher by their parents for the depression and social relationship problems of the KPI-C. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that there are noticeable gender differences for the attention problems and social functioning of children with ADHD.
Child ; Depression ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Parents ; Personality Inventory

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the relationships among maternal object relations, personality, and symptoms of children with ADHD. METHODS: The study's participants were 72 children with ADHD and their mothers. We used the Bell Object Relation Inventory (BORI), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and Korean Personality Inventory for Children (KPI-C) to assess each child's maternal object relations, personality, and symptoms. RESULTS: The T scores of the pathologic group (PG) were higher than those of the normal group (NG) on the MMPI's D, Pa, Sc, Ma, and Si scales. The PG also had higher T scores than did the NG in delinquency, hyperactivity, family interaction, and autism on the KPI-C. Alienation in the PG was positively associated with hyperactivity and family interaction. The PG's egocentricity was positively associated with hyperactivity, family interaction, and autism. However, the NG was not associated with KPI-C. Per a stepwise multiple regression analysis, alienation was the most potent variable for hyperactivity, and egocentricity was the most critical variable for family interaction. CONCLUSION: These results show that the PG had a greater possibility of having personality problems than did the NG. In particular, alienation and egocentricity with regard to maternal object relations were the most decisive variables in children's symptoms.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Autistic Disorder ; Child ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Humans ; MMPI ; Mothers ; Object Attachment ; Personality Inventory ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: The percentage of repeat offenders is increasing among juvenile offenders in Korea. The assessment and treatment of the mental health of young offenders may play an important role in reducing the recidivism rate of adolescents. This study examined the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents on probation or parole and the risk of recidivism associated with specific psychiatric disorders. METHODS: We studied 120 adolescents on probation. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Conners’ Rating Scale-Revised were used to diagnose psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: Almost half of the juvenile offenders had psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (19.17%), bipolar disorder (18.33%), antisocial personality disorder (11.67%), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (10.83%). Alcohol use disorder was significantly associated with repeated offenses, but psychiatric disorders, excluding alcohol use disorder, were not significantly associated with repeated offenses. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the development of education and treatment programs for psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder, among juvenile offenders on probation or parole may help to prevent repeated criminal behaviour.
Adolescent* ; Antisocial Personality Disorder ; Bipolar Disorder ; Criminals ; Criminology ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Prevalence