PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing Symptoms of Stress among hospital staff nurses. METHOD: Data was collected by questionnaires from 249 hospital staff nurses in three General Hospital. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The score of the symptoms of stress showed a significantly positive correlation with the score of work stress(r=.22, p=.00). The symptoms of stress showed a significantly negative correlation with the score of social support(r=-.28, p=.00), self efficacy(r=-.31, p=.00), and hardiness(r=-.24, p=.00). The most powerful predictor of symptoms of stress was social support and the variance explained was 16%. A combination of social support, ways of coping, and work stress account for 32% of the variance in symptoms of stress among hospital staff nurses. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that social support, ways of coping, self efficacy, hardiness, and work stress are significantly influencing factors on symptoms of stress among hospital staff nurses.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Self Efficacy ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis/etiology/*psychology

PURPOSE: This study was done to provide fundamental data for developing a depression prediction model by discovering main factors that affect depression in patients who do maintenance hemodialysis. METHOD: The subjects were 191 patients doing maintenance hemodialysis selected from outpatient dialysis clinics at 9 major general hospitals, The Instrument tools utilized in this study were adapted from depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, stress, adaptation,symptoms, daily activities, and role limitation and thoroughly modified to verify reliability and validity. The collected data was analyzed with a SPSS-PC 11.0 Window Statistics Program for real numbers, percentage, average, standard deviation, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The correlation factor for depression was (M=2.54) fatigue(M=3.12), sleep disturbance (M=2.82), stress(M=3.04), adaptation(M=2.53), daily activities(M=2.24), symptoms(M=2.37), and role limitation(M=2.24). The strongest factor that affected depression was explained by symptoms of the patients who performed hemodialysis. The analysis of the factors that affected depression revealed a 58.4% prediction in symptoms, stress, role limitation, and adaptation. CONCLUSION: It has been confirmed that the regression equation model(Depression=7.351 + .266*symptoms + .260*stress -.189*adaptation + .057*fatigue) of this research may serve as a prediction factor for depression in Hemodialysis Patients.
Stress, Psychological/etiology ; Sleep Disorders/etiology ; Risk Factors ; Renal Dialysis/adverse effects/*psychology ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Fatigue/etiology ; Depressive Disorder/diagnosis/*etiology ; Adult

BACKGROUNDPsychological distress has been widely studied in many cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, but the condition in acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of depression and anxiety and their influencing factors in APE patients.

METHODSSixty consecutive patients with APE were subjected to investigation of depression and anxiety by the Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and 60 community-based subjects were enrolled as controls. APE patients were stratified as high-risk, intermediate-risk and low-risk according to the disease severity. Scores of depression and anxiety were compared by statistical analysis using paired t tests between APE patients and controls, and by analysis of variance within the APE patients with the three risk stratification. Factors influencing depression and anxiety were evaluated.

RESULTSThe mean age of the patients (38 males and 22 females) was (52 ± 12) years. APE patients displayed higher scores of depression (P = 0.04) and anxiety (P = 0.001) compared with controls. Patients in the high-risk group displayed higher scores of depression (P = 0.004) and anxiety (P = 0.001) compared with those in the intermediate- and low-risk groups. Depression scores were highly correlated with anxiety scores (r = 0.60, P < 0.001). Both depression and anxiety inversely related to risk stratification (P < 0.01), age (P < 0.05), and arterial blood oxygen pressure (PaO2) (P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that PaO2 was independently inversely related to both depression (P < 0.01) and anxiety (P < 0.05); risk stratification and age were independently inversely related to anxiety (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPatients of APE suffered high levels of depression and anxiety, which were negatively influenced by PaO2, risk stratification and age.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Anxiety ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Depression ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Embolism ; psychology ; Sex Factors ; Stress, Psychological ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine the appropriate sampling time of the salivary stress markers, chromogranin A (CgA) and cortisol as objective indices of job stress assessment in adult females. METHODS: The subjects were 20~39-year-old women (13 office workers, 11 sales-service workers, and 11 college students) who were eligible for the study and free of acute and chronic medical conditions. Salivary CgA and cortisol levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Saliva samples were collected (2ml each) at 7:00, 8:00, 10:30, 12:00, 17:30, and 22:30 on a typical day. Salivary CgA and cortisol levels, according to sampling time, were compared among the three groups using general linear model. The full version of the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS), which includes socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior, work-related characteristics, and BMI, was used to access the subjects' job stress. Multiple regression analysis of the job stressors identified by the KOSS was performed on salivary CgA and cortisol levels. RESULTS: The salivary CgA level peaked at 7:00 (time of awakening), then decreased and were maintained at a low level throughout the day, and increased slightly at 17:30. The salivary cortisol level increased steeply within the 1st hour after awakening, followed by a gradual decrease by 12:00, and was then maintained at a low level throughout the day. The salivary cortisol levels of subjects who worked < or =5 days per week and graduated from the university were significantly lower at 8:00 (p=0.006). The salivary cortisol levels of non-smokers were significantly lower at 7:00 (p=0.040) and 8:00 (p=0.003) compared to smokers. There were no significant differences in salivary CgA and cortisol levels at 10:30 and 12:00 in general characteristics. The regression coefficients on salivary CgA level were significant with interpersonal conflict at 17:30 and job insecurity at 22:30. Regression coefficients on salivary cortisol level were significant with organizational system and total job stressors at 17:30. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the appropriate sampling times for the salivary stress markers, CgA and cortisol, are at 7:00 (time of awakening), 8:00 (1 hour after awakening), 17:30 (early evening), and 22:30 (before sleep).
Adult ; Biological Markers/metabolism ; Chromogranin A/*metabolism ; Circadian Rhythm ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/*metabolism ; Korea ; Saliva/*metabolism ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis/etiology/*metabolism ; Workplace/*psychology ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study was to develop a job stress scale for hospital-based home care nurses in Korea. The process was construction of the conceptual framework, development of the preliminary items, verification of the content validity, item analysis and test of the reliability. The preliminary items were based on literature review and in-depth interviews with home care nurses. As a result, eight categories and sixty items were selected. These were reviewed by seven specialists for content validity and finally fifty one items were chosen. Data was collected from 180 home care nurses who were engaged in 87 hospitals from August to September 2003. The result of item analysis one was excepted. The final item count was 50. Categories were as follows: overload work(8 items), lack of specialized knowledge and technique(5 items), ethical dilemma(4 items), role conflict(5 items), interpersonal relationships(6 items), visiting home environment(9 items), driving conditions(4 items) and lack of administrative support(9 items), The reliability of the scale by Cronbach's alpha was .948 and the domain's reliability ranged from .649 to .841. The result of this study could be used to measure the job stress of home care nurses. However, for further validity and reliability, repeated studies will be necessary.
Adult ; Female ; *Home Care Services, Hospital-Based ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Nurses/*psychology ; *Nursing Services ; Questionnaires ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis/*etiology

PURPOSE: Bell's phenomenon (BP), which may disturb screening examinations for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), is known to present infrequently in premature babies. Stress associated with the examinations can influence expression of BP. The authors of the present study evaluated BP during examinations for ROP. METHODS: The present study included 102 eyes of 51 premature babies. Expression of BP was assessed at 3 steps of the examination in the following order: after insertion of a speculum, after illumination of an indirect ophthalmoscope and after scleral depression. The relationship between the expression of BP and the gestational age at the examination was analyzed in each step of the examination. RESULTS: The frequency of BP after the speculum insertion and the illumination was 77% to 92% in infants 32 weeks of age or younger, and decreased significantly to 16% to 57% in infants 42 weeks of age or older (p < 0.005). BP after the scleral depression had no significant association with the gestational age. Frequency of BP increased significantly as the steps of the examination proceeded (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: BP was frequent in premature infants during ROP examination in spite of neurological immaturity. The examiner should take BP into consideration, which frequently occurs in younger infants.
Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; *Infant, Premature ; Korea/epidemiology ; Mass Screening/adverse effects/*methods/psychology ; Ophthalmoscopy/*psychology ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological/*epidemiology/etiology ; Vision Screening/adverse effects/*psychology

INTRODUCTIONThe Diabetes Health Profile-18 (DHP-18) measures diabetes-related psychological well-being in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It includes 3 subscales: psychological distress (PD), barriers to activity and disinhibited eating. The psychometric properties of the DHP have not been evaluated in Asia. The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the DHP in multiethnic Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSPatients between the ages of 18 to 65 diagnosed with diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) for at least 1 year were recruited from a diabetes outpatient clinic in a tertiary hospital. They completed a set of self-administered questionnaires including sociodemographic information and the DHP. Validity of the DHP was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Reliability was assessed with internal consistency and sensitivity was determined by effect size, associated with detecting a statistically significant and clinically important difference between various patient subgroups.

RESULTSA total of 204 patients with mean age 45.4 (11.9) years, comprising 64% males and 50% Chinese, 27% Indian and 12% Malay were studied. In CFA, model fit was poor. Forced 3-factor EFA supported the original 3-factor structure of the DHP. Convergent and discriminant validity was demonstrated (100% scaling success). DHP was sensitive across majority of social demographic, clinical and social-functioning determinants (i.e., effect size >0.3). Cronbach's alpha exceeded 0.70 for all subscales. Ceiling effects were negligible but large floor effects were seen for the PD subscale (23%).

CONCLUSIONThe DHP is valid, reliable and sensitive for measuring well-being in Asian patients with T2DM.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; psychology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; psychology ; Emotional Adjustment ; Ethnic Groups ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Feeding Behavior ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psychological Tests ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Singapore ; Stress, Psychological ; diagnosis ; etiology ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: A natural disaster negatively affects children's emotional and behavioral adjustment. The purpose of this paper was to examine the prevalence, symptoms, and correlates of PTSD after the occurrence of Typhoon Rusa. METHOD: 261 elementary school children living in Kimcheon, which was a devastated rural area in South Korea by Typhoon Rusa, were selected. Data were collected 4 months after the disaster using the PTSD Reaction Index categories recommended by Frederick, severity of PTSD. RESULT: 12.3% of the children had either moderate or severe PTSD symptoms; 22.7% reported mild symptoms; and the remaining 65% had sub-clinical symptoms of PTSD. The most frequent symptom was recurrenct fear(67.0%). 13% to 17.2% of children exhibited difficulty in concentration, sleep disturbance, and guilt feeling. The regression model of severity of PTSD was composed of the level of exposure to traumatic experiences, grade in school, gender, negative coping style, and social support, and explained 34.3% for PTSD symptoms. Exposure to traumatic experiences was the strongest factor of all predictors. CONCLUSION: Emotional support from friends and coping style were correlated with PTSD severity. School-based interventions that emphasizes coping with disaster related problems and problem-solving may prove to be useful, and may aid in building close and supportive ties with teachers, classmates, and friends.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Attitude to Health ; Child ; *Child Psychology ; *Disasters ; Female ; Friends/psychology ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Life Change Events ; Male ; Models, Psychological ; Prevalence ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Regression Analysis ; Rural Health ; School Health Services ; Self Care/methods/psychology ; Severity of Illness Index ; Social Support ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis/epidemiology/*etiology/psychology ; Survivors

It is important to assess psychological distress after a diagnosis for cancer survivors, a population with a high risk for psychological distress. The aim of this study is to assess psychological distress among cancer survivors and to clarify the associated factors. In this cross-sectional analysis, data were obtained from standardized questionnaires administered to 1,163 cancer survivors and 49,243 non-cancer survivors who participated in the Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2012). We identified the adjusted rates for psychological distress and assessed factors associated with this kind of distress using multivariate logistic regression. Cancer survivors tended to have a higher adjusted rate of psychological distress than the general population. The current depressive symptom rate for cancer survivors was 16.69%, and the adjusted rate for history of depression in cancer survivors was 15.61%. The adjusted rate for higher level of stress was 25.51% in cancer survivors. Among the cancer survivors, younger subjects, female subjects, and those with limited social support were more prone to psychological distress. In addition, current smokers or risky drinkers, those with chronic diseases, and those with a poor self-perception of their health status were also identified as a high-risk group for psychological distress. As the number of cancer survivors has increased, the importance of assessing psychological distress after a cancer diagnosis should be emphasized among all cancer survivors. Further, psychological supportive care interventions for cancer survivors are needed to improve the survival rate and improve their quality of life.
Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression/etiology ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasms/*diagnosis/mortality ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life ; Social Support ; Socioeconomic Factors ; *Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Survivors/*psychology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of genetic polymorphisms of norepinephrine metabolizing enzymes with postpartum depression and analyze the risk factors for postpartum depression in women following cesarean section. METHODS: A total of 591 Chinese woman of Han Nationality undergoing caesarean section were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of postpartum depression was established for an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥9. For all the women without antepartum depression, the genotypes of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; at 5 sites including rs2020917 and rs737865) and monoamine oxidase A (rs6323) were determined using Sequenom Mass Array single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. We analyzed the contribution of the genetic factors (SNPs, linkage disequilibrium and haplotype) to postpartum depression and performed logistic regression analysis to identify all the potential risk factors for postpartum depression and define the interactions between the genetic and environmental factors. RESULTS: The incidence of postpartum depression was 18.1% in this cohort. Univariate analysis suggested that COMT polymorphism at rs2020917 (TT genotype) and rs737865 (GG genotype) were significantly correlated with the occurrence of postpartum depression ( < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that COMT polymorphism at rs2020917 (TT genotype) and rs737865 (GG genotype), severe stress during pregnancy, and domestic violence were the risk factors for postpartum depression ( < 0.05); no obvious interaction was found between the genetic polymorphisms and the environmental factors in the occurrence of postpartum depression. CONCLUSIONS The rs2020917TT and rs737865GG genotypes of COMT, stress in pregnancy, and domestic violence are the risk factors for postpartum depression.
Catechol O-Methyltransferase ; genetics ; Cesarean Section ; adverse effects ; Depression, Postpartum ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; genetics ; Domestic Violence ; psychology ; Female ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Monoamine Oxidase ; genetics ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Postoperative Complications ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; genetics ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; etiology ; psychology ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological