No abstract available.
Coronavirus Infections* ; Humans ; Middle East* ; Psychological Trauma*

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread across the world, reducing social interactions and causing substantial psychological distress and economic losses. This review summarizes the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of uncertainty, the loss of autonomy associated with preventive measures, and secondary stressors such as potential future economic losses.

Achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 through vaccination is considered an important strategy for controlling the epidemic. However, as is the case for other infectious diseases, many people are hesitant to vaccinate. Underestimating the risk of disease, inconvenience of the inoculation process, concerns about effectiveness and safety, autonomy and personal belief, lack of altruism, and antipathy are psychosocial factors that lead to vaccine hesitancy. It is important to acknowledge and understand these concerns and fears rather than criticize individuals. To achieve herd immunity, the government must provide accurate information and improve accessibility through various windows to encourage individuals to make reasoned decisions.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread across the world, reducing social interactions and causing substantial psychological distress and economic losses. This review summarizes the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of uncertainty, the loss of autonomy associated with preventive measures, and secondary stressors such as potential future economic losses.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate the pattern of stress coping strategies and the effects of stress coping strategies on quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Stress coping strategies and quality of life were examined using Ways of Coping Checklist and Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale for 98 patients with schizophrenia. Stress coping strategies were composed of problem-focused coping, social support seeking, emotion-focused coping, and wishful thinking. Among these, problem-focused coping and social support seeking were active coping strategies while emotion-focused coping and wishful thinking were passive coping strategies. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) were also administered. RESULTS: Active coping scores were higher than passive coping scores in patients with schizophrenia. Quality of life was higher in the active coping group compared to the passive coping group. Active coping usage was a significant predictor of higher quality of life even after controlling for gender, age, PANSS, and BDI scores. CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia used more active coping strategies than passive coping strategies, which showed significant association with higher quality of life. A treatment program to provide education on use of active coping strategies in a proper and flexible way might contribute to enhanced quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Checklist ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Schizophrenia* ; Stress, Psychological ; Thinking

A variety of psychological and physical symptoms may appear in disaster victims. The type of disaster as well as individual factors could affect the pattern and severity of symptoms. Several reports have shown that fire survivors suffered from survivor guilt, re-experience, and fear of fire and burn scars associated with depressive symptoms. Inhalation burns are of special interest because of the possibility of delayed systemic complications. Large traffic accident causes more frequent and severe post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), particularly intrusive thoughts, compared to general road traffic accident. Traumatic brain injury and serious physical injuries could increase the PTSS expression. Considering that tragic collapse accidents occurred mainly as a result of careless construction, anger and mistrust are understandable. Legal disputes and compensation issues can provoke social conflict and prolonged suffering. Understanding the psychological characteristics and responses will be required in order to support the mental health of disaster victims.
Accidents, Traffic ; Anger ; Brain Injuries ; Burns ; Burns, Inhalation ; Cicatrix ; Compensation and Redress ; Depression ; Disaster Victims ; Disasters* ; Dissent and Disputes ; Fires ; Guilt ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic patients after controlling for the possible confounding factors, such as depression and dissociative symptoms. Ninety-eight schizophrenic inpatients participated. Childhood trauma was examined using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaires (CTQ), which consists of physical abuse (PA), sexual abuse (SA), emotional abuse (EA), physical neglect (PN), and emotional neglect (EN). Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) were also administered. Data were analyzed by partial correlation and general linear model. The total score of CTQ was positively correlated with positive, general, and total scores of PANSS. All five types of childhood trauma were associated with dissociative symptoms. EA and EN were positively correlated with depressive symptoms. Only SA significantly predicted positive symptoms of schizophrenia after controlling for age, sex, BDI, and DES scores, with a dose-response relationship between SA and positive symptoms.
Depression ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Linear Models ; Multivariate Analysis* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia* ; Sex Offenses

We sought to gain insights on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, the risk and protective factors and the prevention and intervention programs of mental health problems among disaster workers. The prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among disaster workers was higher than that of the general population and lower than that of disaster survivors. They might suffer from various mental health problems and comorbid disorders. Those mental problems could affect not only their physical health but also self-medication, life satisfaction, and job functioning. Heterogeneous and various factors were positively and negatively associated with psychiatric problems. Prevention and intervention programs were summarized for PTSD among disaster workers. Self-help technique 'RESCUE' and cognitive behavior therapy, developed especially for disaster workers was introduced. Future research and directions were suggested.
Cognitive Therapy ; Disasters* ; Humans ; Mental Health* ; Prevalence ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors

OBJECTIVE: To localize the site of motor points within human biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping using electrophysiological method. METHOD: We recorded the compound muscle action potentials of each lattice of the biceps brachii in 40 healthy subjects. Standardized reference lines were made as the following: 1) a horizontal reference line (elbow crease) and 2) a vertical reference line connecting coracoid process and mid-point of the horizontal reference line. The Compound muscle action potentials were mapped in reference to the standardized reference lines. The locations of motor points were mapped to the skin surface, in the ratio to the length of the vertical and the half of the horizontal reference lines. RESULTS: The motor point of the short head of biceps was located at 69.0+/-4.9% distal and 19.1+/-9.5% medial to the mid-point of horizontal reference line. The location of the motor point of the long head of the biceps was 67.3+/-4.3% distal and 21.4+/-8.7% lateral. The motor point of the short head of the biceps was located more medially and distally in the male subjects compared to that in the female (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed electrophysiological motor points of the biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping. This data might improve the clinical efficacy and the feasibility of motor point targeting, when injecting botulinum neurotoxin in biceps brachii.
Action Potentials ; Botulinum Toxins ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: To localize the site of motor points within human biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping using electrophysiological method. METHOD: We recorded the compound muscle action potentials of each lattice of the biceps brachii in 40 healthy subjects. Standardized reference lines were made as the following: 1) a horizontal reference line (elbow crease) and 2) a vertical reference line connecting coracoid process and mid-point of the horizontal reference line. The Compound muscle action potentials were mapped in reference to the standardized reference lines. The locations of motor points were mapped to the skin surface, in the ratio to the length of the vertical and the half of the horizontal reference lines. RESULTS: The motor point of the short head of biceps was located at 69.0+/-4.9% distal and 19.1+/-9.5% medial to the mid-point of horizontal reference line. The location of the motor point of the long head of the biceps was 67.3+/-4.3% distal and 21.4+/-8.7% lateral. The motor point of the short head of the biceps was located more medially and distally in the male subjects compared to that in the female (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed electrophysiological motor points of the biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping. This data might improve the clinical efficacy and the feasibility of motor point targeting, when injecting botulinum neurotoxin in biceps brachii.
Action Potentials ; Botulinum Toxins ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Skin