PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the effects of a recreation therapy program on burn rehabilitation patients to determine if the program is an effective nursing intervention which can affect mental health problems and heart rate variability. METHODS: Subjects were 54 hospitalized burn rehabilitation patients (25 in the control group, 29 in the experimental group). The experimental group participated 6 times in a recreation therapy program led by a qualified instructor. Brief symptoms inventory-18 (somatization, anxiety, depression) questionnaire, and heart rate variability were checked before and after the recreation therapy program. RESULTS: The mental health scale showed significant differences in somatization (p<.001), anxiety (p<.001) and depression (p<.001). There was no significant difference in heart rate variability (autonomic activity, autonomic balance, stress resistance, stress parameter and fatigue, mean heart rate, electro-cardiac stability). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest that a recreation therapy program is an effective nursing intervention to decrease the level of mental health problems of burn rehabilitation patients. However, a subsequent study is needed to develop an intervention program that will induce the effect of physiological parameters like heart rate variability (HRV).
Anxiety ; Burns* ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Mental Health* ; Nursing ; Recreation Therapy* ; Recreation* ; Rehabilitation*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of group music therapy on social function and interpersonal relationships in outpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 24 outpatients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (with music therapy : 12 patients) or a control group (without music therapy : 12 patients). Patients assigned to the experimental group received 18 sessions of group music therapy at Iksan Community Mental Health Center. Twenty individuals with schizophrenia completed a battery of measures, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Social Skill Scale, Korean-Social Functioning Scale (SFS-K), Interpersonal Functioning Scale, and the Relationship Change Scale at baseline and end point. RESULTS: After 18 sessions of group music therapy, the experimental group showed significant improvements compared with the control group in the PANSS (positive, negative, general psychopathology), GAF, social skill, interpersonal relationship, some SFS-K domains (social withdrawal, recreation, independence performance), and some Relationship Change Scale domains (communication, confidence, affection, openness, understanding). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that group music therapy seems to be effective for treatment of psychopathology, social function, and interpersonal relationships of schizophrenic patients. However, the small sample size was a limitation of this study.
Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Mental Health ; Music Therapy* ; Music* ; Outpatients* ; Psychopathology ; Recreation ; Sample Size ; Schizophrenia*

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to examine the effects of recreational therapy (60 minutes * 3times/week * 6weeks) on dementia behavior & affection, and activity of daily living of senile people with dementia. METHODS: The subjects were 27 senile people with dementia, 16 experimental group, 11 control group, admitted at K hospital in Chungnam province in quasi-experimental study. The recreational therapy program was developed, based on the recreational program for senile welfare made by athletics science research institute in Chungnam National University(1997). It consisted of rhythm game, ball play, and beanbag game. The data were collected through questionnaires from May 1st to June 10th 2003 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi2-test, Fisher' exact test, and Man Whitney U test. RESULT: The dementia behavior and affection score was significantly different between the two groups (U=32.5, p=.005). The ADL score was significantly different between the two groups (U=12.0, p=.000). There were significant decrease in dementia behavior & affection, and improvement in ADL in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Recreational therapy intervention was proved effect in decreasing dementia behavior & affection and promoting ADL of senile people with dementia. We recommended re-test in containing a communicating variable.
Academies and Institutes ; Activities of Daily Living ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Dementia* ; Recreation Therapy* ; Sports

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop and evaluate a dementia prevention intervention program for the elderly with mild cognitive disorder. METHODS: The study was nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of the study were a total of 68 elderly who ranged from 21 to 24 of total scores of K-MMSE, aged over 65, in home. The program consisted of music therapy, humor therapy, art therapy, dancing therapy, recreation, and health education to enhance brain function. The program was applied to the experimental group twice a week, ninety minutes per session for eight weeks. The data were analysed by using chi-square test and t-test. RESULTS: The variables measured in the experimental group and the control group before the intervention were not significantly different in the homogeneity test. The dementia prevention program improved the cognition(t=9.243, p<.001), self-esteem(t=.4.336, p<.001), quality of life(t=8.375, p<.001) and reduced depression(t=-3.913, p<.001). CONCLUSION: These findings confirmed that the dementia prevention program made a contribution to improving cognitive function, self-esteem, and quality of life and also to reduce depression in the elderly with mild cognition disorder. Therefore, it is recommended that this program could be used in clinical practice as an effective nursing intervention for the elderly with mild cognitive disorder.
Aged* ; Art Therapy ; Brain ; Cognition* ; Dancing ; Dementia* ; Depression* ; Health Education ; Humans ; Music Therapy ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Recreation Therapy

Forest bathing trip is a short, leisurely visit to forest. In this study we determined the health effects of forest bathing trip on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group was sent to forest, and the other was sent to an urban area as control. Flow cytometry, ELISA, and profile of mood states (POMS) evaluation were performed. In the forest group, we found a significant decrease of perforin and granzyme B expressions, accompanied by decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and stress hormones. Meanwhile, the scores in the negative subscales of POMS decreased after forest bathing trip. These results indicate that forest bathing trip has health effect on elderly COPD patients by reducing inflammation and stress level.
Aged ; Cytokines ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Forests ; Gene Expression Regulation ; physiology ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; pathology ; psychology ; therapy ; Recreation

OBJECTIVES: A group therapy includes various types: group psychotherapy, psychodrama, activity therapy including occupational therapy as well as recreation therapy, art therapy of drawing, music, dancing and drama. It has long been in use for in-patients, and became more trendy at day hospitals and community mental health centers after the enactment of a mental health law. It was surprising that a few researches have been made in the field, including a basic fact finding and that a few Korean psychiatrists have been inclined toward it. Meanwhile, we finished a research work on: how a group therapy has been conducted so far, its current status across the country, possibly the best way to heal, and deal with, psychiatric patients. METHODS: The 1997 annual report by Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, has been available for random sampling in the following categories: training hospital, general hospital, psychiatric hospital, clinic with admissions, clinic without admissions, day hospital, community mental health center. Telephone polls were conducted on contents of frequency and status of a group therapy available with psychodrama, main therapists, co-therapists, duration & times of therapy, size of group therapy recipients etc. RESULTS: The group therapy is broken down into the order of percentage; Art therapy(30.9%), Activity therapy(28.4%), Group psychotherapy(27.2%), Others(24.1%), Large group therapy(23.2%), with the psychodrama(10.9) least of all. Against in-patients(61.6%), the group psychotherapy shows its greatest diagnosis for a combined gorup(51.4%), and finds its biggest type in a general group(83.2%), Against in-patients(65.3%), the psychodrama diagnosis is mostly conducted for a combined group (69.4%). For a main therapist, the group psychotherapy is taken care of by boardmen(31.1%), and social workers(29.5%), while psychodrama by psychiatric boardmen(36.1%), and social workers(36.1%). On the other hand, for a co-therapist, the group psychotherapy is done by nurse(40.8%), while psychodrama by social workers(25.9%), and volunteers(23.5%). At a time most group psychotherapies takes some 60 minutes, psychodrama 120 minutes. Group therapies take place each once a week. Its participation amounts to 26.0(+/-17.8) for a psychodrama, and to 11.0(+/-5.8) for a group psychotherapy. Clinics with admission rooms(83.6%), exceedingly enjoy more group therapy than ones without (2.2%). CONCLUSION: The group therapy is run at most hospitals as the main part of a psychiatric treatment. However, the job has been undertaken on a small scale by outpatient clinics as well as psychiatric boardmen. Therefore, more attention is urged toward a group therapy, its professional training, plus its more brisk business at outpatient clinics.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Art Therapy ; Commerce ; Community Mental Health Centers ; Dancing ; Diagnosis ; Drama ; Hand ; Hospitals, Community ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Mental Health ; Music ; Occupational Therapy ; Psychiatry ; Psychodrama ; Psychotherapy ; Psychotherapy, Group* ; Recreation Therapy ; Telephone

Chronic heart failure (CHF), a clinical syndrome resulting from the consequences of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), is increasingly becoming a global cause of morbidity and mortality. We had earlier demonstrated that a 4-day forest bathing trip can provide an adjunctive therapeutic influence on patients with CHF. To further investigate the duration of the impact and the optimal frequency of forest bathing trips in patients with CHF, we recruited those subjects who had experienced the first forest bathing trip again after 4 weeks and randomly categorized them into two groups, namely, the urban control group (city) and the forest bathing group (forest). After a second 4-day forest bathing trip, we observed a steady decline in the brain natriuretic peptide levels, a biomarker of heart failure, and an attenuated inflammatory response as well as oxidative stress. Thus, this exploratory study demonstrated the additive benefits of twice forest bathing trips in elderly patients with CHF, which could further pave the way for analyzing the effects of such interventions in CVDs.
Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Complementary Therapies ; methods ; Forests ; Heart Failure ; blood ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Heart Function Tests ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Oxidative Stress ; Recreation ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

This study was carried out to obtain basic data required to plan and develop Rehabilitation Day Care Program for the stroke survivors at home in Korea. The subjects comprised of 118 stroke survivors who discharged from 4 hospitals in Seoul during the past 2 years. The data were collected from August 3, 1998 to September 18, 1998, through interviews with questionnaires about general characteristics, activities of daily living, depression and service need of rehabilitation day care program at the outpatient clinics by trained nursing graduates. Data were analyzed with descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS/WIN program. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The mean score of the general need of rehabilitation day care program of stroke survivors was 2.78(range 1-4). The highest need among the service categories of the rehabilitation day care program was self-care and restorative activities category, and health services referral category, recreation category, psychosocial activities category in order. The needs of each category are as follows ; 1) In the health services referral category, the need for speech therapy was highest, followed by the need for physical therapy and occupational therapy. 2) In the psychosocial activities category, the need for self-help group was highest. 3) In the self-care and restorative activities category, the need for bathing was highest, followed by bowel training, and ambulation training. 4) The need for the recreation category was 2.62. 2. Among the need for the effect related to the utilization of day care program, the need for survivors' physical and psychological well-being was highest and was followed by the need for caregiver's physical and psychological wellbeing. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed following results; 1. The need for rehabilitation day care program service displayed a correlation with the level of education, ADL, and the level of depression, and a reverse correlation with age. 2. The need for the effect related to the utilization of rehabilitation day care program displayed a correlation with the level of education, ADL, and the level of depression. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed following results; 1. For the need for rehabilitation day care program service, 28.4% of the variance was initially explained by one variable, level of depression. The level of depression plus two variables, survivors' age and ADL, explained 34.2% of the variance in the need for rehabilitation day care program service. 2. For the need for the effect related to the utilization of rehabiJitation day care program, 12.4% of the variance was initially explained by one variable, level of depression. The level of depression plus one variable, level of education, explained 20.4% of the variance in the need for the effect related to the utilization of rehabilitation day care program. In conclusion, above characteristics should be considered when we are planning to develop stroke survivors' rehabilitation day care program.
Activities of Daily Living ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Baths ; Day Care, Medical* ; Depression ; Education ; Health Services ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nursing ; Occupational Therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recreation ; Referral and Consultation ; Rehabilitation* ; Self Care ; Self-Help Groups ; Seoul ; Speech Therapy ; Stroke* ; Survivors* ; Walking

This study was carried out to find out the basic data required to plan and develop Rehabilitation Day Care Program for the stroke survivor's family in Korea. The subjects comprised of 92 stroke survivor's family who discharged from 4 hospitals in Seoul during the past 2 years. The data were collected from August 3. 1998 to September 18, 1998, through interviews with questionnaires about general characteristics, activities of daily living, depression and service need of rehabilitation day care program at the outpatient clinics by trained nursing graduates. Data were analyzed with descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 10.0 program. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The mean score of the general need of rehabilitation day care program of stroke survivor's family was 3.10(range 1-4). The highest need among the service categories of the rehabilitation day care program was self-care and restorative activities category(3.30). and health services referral category, recreation category, psychosocial activities category in order. The needs of each category are as follows. In the health services referral category, the need for dental examination and medical examination were highest, followed by the need for physical therapy and occupational therapy. In the psychosocial activities category, the need for family counselling was highest. In the self-care and restorative activities category, the need for ROM exercise training was highest, followed by bowel training, and ambulation training. 2. The need of family for rehabilitation day care program service displayed a correlation with the level of education. ADL. and the level of depression. and a reverse correlation with age, illness intrusiveness, depression, knowledge. subject and object burden and relationship with stroke survivors. 3. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed following results. For the need for rehabilitation day care program service. 22.6% of the variance was initially explained by level of family's knowledge about caring method for stroke survivors, 8.8% was the level of subjective burden and 5.4% was relationship with stroke survivors. In conclusion, above characteristics should be considered to develop stroke survivors' rehabilitation day care program.
Activities of Daily Living ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Day Care, Medical* ; Depression ; Education ; Health Services ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nursing ; Occupational Therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recreation ; Referral and Consultation ; Rehabilitation* ; Self Care ; Seoul ; Stroke* ; Survivors ; Walking