PURPOSE: This study is a descriptive research in which the pathological syndromes of the schizophrenic patients in the community mental health centers, the degrees of the insights, and the correlations between them were examined. METHOD: The subjects included 114 SPR pt. people who were enrolled in community mental health centers located in D City. The research was conducted during the period from Aug. 1st, 2002 to Jul. 30th, 2004. The instruments were PANSS developed by Kay(1987) and SUMD developed by Amador(1993). RESULTS: Among the pathological syndromes, positives ones were 12.64+/-3.80 on the average, negative ones were 32.00+/- 5.36, and general pathological syndromes were 30.50+/-6.24. In the evaluation of the insights, the mean score was 11.81+/-5.09. There were some significant correlations between positive syndromes and general pathological ones (r=.572, p=.000), and negative syndromes and general pathological ones(r=.262, p=.029), while there was no significant correlation between the insights and the sub-measures of general pathological syndromes. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the schizophrenic patients taking advantage of the community mental health centers have more negative syndromes than those in hospitalized, and rehabilitation programs are needed to help them continuously. And the further study of the correlations between the pathological syndromes and the degrees of the insights are required, and still, it should be analyzed what effects the insight acquirement brings about to the improvements of the pathological syndromes after the application of the insight-oriented programs.
Community Mental Health Centers* ; Humans ; Rehabilitation

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 and 12 in a Korean population. METHODS: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were translated into Korean using a translation and backtranslation technique, and the content validity was assessed by an expert panel. Participants were recruited from six community health centers (n = 431) and two community mental health centers (n = 50). A field test of the psychometric properties of the instruments was conducted using confirmatory factor analysis with bootstrap maximum likelihood estimation involving 1,000 samples, Pearson's analysis, t test, and Cronbach's α coefficient. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 and 12 supported both three-factor and second-order three-factor models. The Scales 21 and 12 satisfied convergent validity with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Perceived Stress Scale-10 and discriminant validity with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The scores for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 and 12 were higher for the psychiatric group than for the nonpsychiatric group, confirming the presence of known-groups validity. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 and 12 exhibited moderate-to-strong correlations with the Negative Affect. Cronbach's a coefficients for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 and 12 were .93 and .90, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 and 12 appear to be acceptable, reliable, and valid instruments. However, the shorter Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 12 may be more feasible to use in a busy practice and also be less burdensome to respondents.
Anxiety ; Community Health Centers ; Community Mental Health Centers ; Depression ; Humans ; Psychometrics ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of self-esteem improvement program on self-esteem, depression, and interpersonal relationship in chronic schizophrenia patients living in the community. METHODS: The research design was a non-equivalent pre and post control group design. One of two community mental health centers was randomly assigned to receive the intervention and the other served as a control. Eight patients in the intervention group and ten in the control group participated. For the intervention group, the self-esteem improvement program was provided in 60-minute session once a week for 12-weeks. Measurements were Korean version of self-esteem scale (SES-K), Korean version of beck depression inventory (BDI-K), and Korean version of interpersonal relationships (IR-K). RESULTS: The only statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group was for interpersonal relationships. For the experimental group, there were statistically significant differences in self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that this type of program has a positive effect on self-esteem and interpersonal relationships and can be a feasible type of intervention program for community dwelling patients with chronic schizophrenia.
Community Mental Health Centers ; Depression* ; Humans ; Research Design ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia seriously degrades the ability to function normally in those who suffer from this disease. The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive online medication adherence enhancement program and to test its effectiveness among schizophrenia patients who live in community relatively neglected with few inputs or oversights from community mental health centers. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group with prepost test was employed during the study. Participants included fifty-two chronic schizophrenia patients, twentysix experimental, and a control group of twenty-six. The study variables were medication knowledge, perceived benefits, self efficacy, social support and medication compliance. RESULTS: There were significant differences between two groups in perceived benefits (F=5.67, p=0.02), self-efficacy (F=6.38, p=0.01), social support (F=14.63, p<0.001) but no significant differences in medication knowledge (F=0.82, p=0.37), and medication compliance (F=0.89, p=0.35) when the program was completed. However, medication knowledge in posttest I and posttest II which was taken after 3 months of the program were significantly increased in the experimental group (F=8.88, p<0.001). Medication adherence in posttest II was significantly increased in the experimental group (F=6.10, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The online medication adherence enhancement program for persons with schizophrenia was effective at increasing psychosocial variables such as perceived benefits, self efficacy, and social support. This program can be used for schizophrenic persons in community mental health centers, patients' homes, hospitals, and community centers.
Community Mental Health Centers ; Humans ; Medication Adherence ; Schizophrenia ; Self Efficacy

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of structural and functional characteristics of social network on social adjustment in people with mental illness. METHODS: 236 members of the people with mental illness who were enrolled in day hospital, community mental health center and social rehabilitation center participated in the survey. RESULTS: Of structural and functional characteristics of social network, the influenced factors on social adjustment were network size of professional, social support (family, friend and professional) and conflict with professional. When controlling socio-demographic and disorder characteristics, this regression model affected significantly on social adjustment but the power of influence reduced slightly. CONCLUSION: In order to improve the social adjustment of people with mental illness, it is necessary for social network to provide them with more emotional and social resources. Especially, it is important for mental health professionals to build active partnership with the people with mental illness as consumer. For people with mental illness, the economic stability through guaranteed income such as disability benefits, and occupational rehabilitation is very important.
Friends ; Hospitals, Community ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Social Adjustment

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived functional health patterns and recovery in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, to explore the magnitude of relationship between of these variables and influencing factors such as self-esteem, insight, therapeutic relationship, and social support. METHODS: Participants were 160 individuals from 16 Community Mental Health Centers in Gyeonggi Province. Data were collected from April 10 to June, 12, 2010. Analysis was done using descriptive data, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and canonical correlation coefficients with the SAS 9.1 program. RESULTS: The mean score for perceived functional health of participants was below the normal range and the mean for recovery was above the middle range. Functional health and recovery were positively correlated with all components. The magnitude of relationship between functional health pattern, recovery and influencing factors were high in order of self-esteem, social support, insight, and therapeutic relationship. CONCLUSION: Functional health is strongly associated with recovery and useful in promoting recovery. Development of recovery oriented training programs for professionals and interventions considering factors influencing recovery and functional health as identified in this study is recommended.
Community Mental Health Centers ; Phenothiazines ; Reference Values ; Schizophrenia

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relations of interpersonal attitude and communication competence of new community health nurses. METHODS: The research design was a correlational study. The data were collected from 136 visiting nurses using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: The type of interpersonal attitude in subjects was I+U+ and the score of communication competence was 3.6. Among 15 sub-dimensions, the highest score was responsiveness and the lowest was assertiveness. There were no significant differences in communication competence by general characteristics. Factors influencing on communication competence in new visiting nurses were interpersonal attitude I+(I am OK) (beta=.34) and I-(I am not OK) (beta=-.28). CONCLUSION: Education program, stressing the self-awareness, is necessary to increase positive interpersonal attitude and communication competence for reemployment of community health nurses. Furthermore, in order to reinforce assertiveness, institutional support should be accompanied with the efforts of individual level.
Assertiveness ; Community Health Centers* ; Education ; Mental Competency* ; Nurses, Community Health* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Design

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe work stress and job satisfaction of community mental health nurses working in community mental health centers. METHODS: Data were collected using open-ended questions from 37 mental health nurses working in the 16 centers. Qualitative descriptive methods and qualitative content analysis were used. RESULTS: For work stress there were 148 statements and job satisfaction, 107. Work stress had 5 domains (work environment, policy, work load, operations, compensation and welfare), 14 categories (bureaucratic and unsafe environment, communication, social awareness, lack of support, absurd evaluation, inconsistent policy, excessive work, unrealistic service range, inefficient business means, unreasonable system and budget, job insecurity, low compensation) and 26 subcategories. Job satisfaction had 5 domains (business, client, organization, social awareness and compensation), 8 categories (performance, recognition for the job importance and expertise, business potential, client recovery, team work, improve social awareness, direct compensation), and 14 subcategories. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest the following: a) further research on identifying sources affecting and improving retention of mental health nurses, b) implementing positive factors and supporting identification of sources of work stress as central to development of strategies to encourage nurses' morale and improve personnel policies.
Budgets ; Commerce ; Community Mental Health Centers ; Compensation and Redress ; Job Satisfaction* ; Mental Health* ; Methods ; Morale ; Republic of Korea*

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to explore experience of using humor among psychiatric-mental health nurses. METHODS: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data from 30 nurses working in community mental health centers or psychiatric wards. Data were categorized and coded using content analysis. RESULTS: The findings confirm that 11 categories, 43 sub-categories, and 104 statements were drawn from 4 domains. The four domains included effectiveness of humor, effective use of humor, ineffective use of humor, and barriers and promotive strategies to the use of humor. Nurses experienced positive and negative effects of humor. Popular fad words, jokes, imitation, and compliments were identified as effective types of humor. Discounting humor and belittling humor were identified as ineffective types of humor. Effective humor was humor that was used after establishing a trust relationship and when the patient's mental status was stable. Barriers to using humor were heavy workload, nurses' careful character, and nurses' concern about patients' responses. CONCLUSION: Nurses should assess the nurse-patient relationship and patients' mental status when they plan to use humor. In addition, hiring more nurses and providing education about humor are suggested to improve sense of humor and recognize the effectiveness of humor.
Community Mental Health Centers ; Education ; Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide ; Mental Health ; Psychiatric Nursing

PURPOSE: The relationship between perception of recovery by people with mental health problems and job satisfaction in community mental health professionals was examined in this study. METHODS: A correlational survey design was used. Data were collected from 176 community mental health professionals who worked in 29 community mental health centers in Gyeonggi Province. The perception of recovery was measured with the Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) by Bedregal, O'Connell & Davidson (2006) and job satisfaction was measured with Job Satisfaction Scale developed by Lee (2009). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire. The SPSS/WIN 12.0 program was used for descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: There was no correlation between perception of recovery and job satisfaction. But a statistically significant difference was found between the roles of self-definition and peers in recovery and the job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that community mental health professionals are still have a low level for perception of recovery. The results also suggest that health professionals' understanding of the concept of recovery is not sufficient. It is necessary to include recovery knowledge for community mental health professionals in education programs.
Community Mental Health Centers ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Job Satisfaction* ; Mental Health* ; Surveys and Questionnaires