OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the Korean public’s recognition of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), revealing underlying factors regarding perception relative to etiology and treatment of ASD, and examining variables related to those factors. METHODS: An online survey was held to investigate mental health literacy (MHL) on ASD of the general public in Korea. A total of 673 adults participated and completed questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics and if they know someone with ASD. Next, participants were provided with a vignette describing a child with ASD. Only those that recognized there was a problem with the child moved to the next part which asked their perception regarding etiology and treatment of ASD. RESULTS: According to our study, approximately 25% of participants correctly recognized the child in the vignette as having ASD. Perception regarding etiology and treatment of ASD varied among socio-demographic characteristics. Participants acquainted with someone with ASD and correctly recognized ASD held mixed perception regarding cause and treatment. CONCLUSION: This study investigated MHL of ASD in Korea. The result reveals there is much room for improvement relative to raising awareness on MHL of ASD. Intervention considering socio-demographic characteristics and acquaintance with ASD are needed.
Adult ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Autistic Disorder ; Child ; Humans ; Korea ; Literacy ; Mental Health

OBJECTIVES: Dance therapy can be applied as one of various psychiatric rehabilitation programs in clinical situations. This study was aimed to investigate applicability of dance therapy to schizophrenic outpatients, in regard to improving social adjustment and quality of life for these patients. METHODS: Twenty one psychiatric outpatients enlist who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia were studied. We conducted dance therapy session once a week, totally 8 sessions. The assessments were done before and after dance therapy. Patients reported Self & Others Representation Inventory-Adjective Checklist (SORI), Self-esteem Scale, and Relationship Change Scale (RCS) and Doctors assessed Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and Quality of Life Scale (QoLS) in interview. RESULTS: After 8 sessions of dance therapy, patients showed significant improvements in sociability in SORI, satisfaction, intimacy, sensitiveness, openness, comprehensiveness in RCS, and significant decrease of symptoms in BPRS, SANS. QoLS also was improved significantly. There was no significant change in Self-esteem Scale. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that dance therapy could be applied to schizophrenic outpatients in clinical situations, and it helped to improve self-representation, interpersonal relationship, and quality of life.
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ; Checklist ; Dance Therapy ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Schizophrenia ; Social Adjustment

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition in which multiple risk factors interact in a complex manner. Considerable attention has been directed towards the potential genetic contributions to its diverse mechanisms. Understanding these contributions is essential for reducing MetS and other chronic diseases and developing effective prevention strategies.Therefore, this study analyzed the research trends in academic papers exploring genetic factors related to MetS and its components in Koreans and attempted to identify areas requiring additional research. Methods: The scoping review method was used to evaluate studies that utilized the secondary data sets comprising the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Articles published over the past 15 years were identified using the Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Studies Information Service System, DBpia, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. Results: Forty-seven published articles from 2010 to 2024 were included in the review.Research on the genetic factors linked to MetS has expanded since 2019, indicating significant advances in the field. The research included 18 studies on the polygenic risk score (PRS)/genetic risk score (GRS), 17 studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), six studies on two or more genes, four studies on DNA methylation, and two studies on copy number variations (CNVs). In PRS/GRS research, seven studies focused on the genes related to diseases. In SNP research, four studies examined the FTO gene. Studies on two or more genes included two studies, each on the genes associated with diabetes and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For DNA methylation, three studies focused on the TXNIP gene. Finally, in CNV research, one study was conducted on the LEPR gene and one on genes for hypertension. Conclusion The relatively low proportion of studies on DNA methylation and CNV presents limitations in understanding their associations with MetS. Expanded research utilizing diverse approaches and genetic variables is needed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition in which multiple risk factors interact in a complex manner. Considerable attention has been directed towards the potential genetic contributions to its diverse mechanisms. Understanding these contributions is essential for reducing MetS and other chronic diseases and developing effective prevention strategies.Therefore, this study analyzed the research trends in academic papers exploring genetic factors related to MetS and its components in Koreans and attempted to identify areas requiring additional research. Methods: The scoping review method was used to evaluate studies that utilized the secondary data sets comprising the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Articles published over the past 15 years were identified using the Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Studies Information Service System, DBpia, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. Results: Forty-seven published articles from 2010 to 2024 were included in the review.Research on the genetic factors linked to MetS has expanded since 2019, indicating significant advances in the field. The research included 18 studies on the polygenic risk score (PRS)/genetic risk score (GRS), 17 studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), six studies on two or more genes, four studies on DNA methylation, and two studies on copy number variations (CNVs). In PRS/GRS research, seven studies focused on the genes related to diseases. In SNP research, four studies examined the FTO gene. Studies on two or more genes included two studies, each on the genes associated with diabetes and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For DNA methylation, three studies focused on the TXNIP gene. Finally, in CNV research, one study was conducted on the LEPR gene and one on genes for hypertension. Conclusion The relatively low proportion of studies on DNA methylation and CNV presents limitations in understanding their associations with MetS. Expanded research utilizing diverse approaches and genetic variables is needed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition in which multiple risk factors interact in a complex manner. Considerable attention has been directed towards the potential genetic contributions to its diverse mechanisms. Understanding these contributions is essential for reducing MetS and other chronic diseases and developing effective prevention strategies.Therefore, this study analyzed the research trends in academic papers exploring genetic factors related to MetS and its components in Koreans and attempted to identify areas requiring additional research. Methods: The scoping review method was used to evaluate studies that utilized the secondary data sets comprising the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Articles published over the past 15 years were identified using the Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Studies Information Service System, DBpia, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. Results: Forty-seven published articles from 2010 to 2024 were included in the review.Research on the genetic factors linked to MetS has expanded since 2019, indicating significant advances in the field. The research included 18 studies on the polygenic risk score (PRS)/genetic risk score (GRS), 17 studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), six studies on two or more genes, four studies on DNA methylation, and two studies on copy number variations (CNVs). In PRS/GRS research, seven studies focused on the genes related to diseases. In SNP research, four studies examined the FTO gene. Studies on two or more genes included two studies, each on the genes associated with diabetes and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For DNA methylation, three studies focused on the TXNIP gene. Finally, in CNV research, one study was conducted on the LEPR gene and one on genes for hypertension. Conclusion The relatively low proportion of studies on DNA methylation and CNV presents limitations in understanding their associations with MetS. Expanded research utilizing diverse approaches and genetic variables is needed to overcome these limitations.

OBJECTIVES: Adolescent depression is a complex disorder influenced by a variety of personal and familial factors. In this study, we compared the familial, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics of adolescents with and without diagnosed depression. METHODS: Forty adolescents with depressive disorder were recruited from two psychiatric clinics, along with 46 healthy adolescents from a middle school and a high school. We then compared the participants' cognitive and behavioral characteristics and the child-rearing attitudes of their parents. RESULTS: Compared to the healthy adolescents, the adolescents with depression exhibited lower self-esteem, higher emotional reappraisal, greater disruptive behavior, and lower attention. Furthermore, compared to the mothers of the healthy adolescents, the mothers of those with depression reported less affective, less autonomic, and more rejecting parenting attitudes towards their children. CONCLUSION: We found that attentional problems, negative parenting attitudes, negative self-cognition, and expressive suppression are all associated with adolescent depression. Parenting education and interventions appear to be needed to correct the negative cognitions of adolescents with depression.
Adolescent* ; Child ; Cognition ; Depression* ; Depressive Disorder ; Education, Nonprofessional ; Humans ; Mothers ; Parenting ; Parents ; Problem Behavior

OBJECTIVES: Insufficient sleep could have harmful effects on mental health. We examined the mental health status of Korean adolescents according to daily sleep time and subjective sleep satisfaction using a nationwide representative sample of Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data from the 2016 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used. Sleep duration on weekdays and subjective sleep satisfaction during the past week were asked. Participants' perceived health, happiness, stress, depressive mood, and suicidality during past 12 months were also investigated. Participants were classified by mean duration of daily sleep time and the level of sleep satisfaction, and the odds of having mental health problems were compared. RESULTS: Compared to adolescents who slept more than 6 hours per day and satisfied with their sleep, adolescents who slept less than 6 hours per day and/or dissatisfied with their sleep were less likely to perceive themselves healthy and happy. They were also more likely to have severe stress, depressive mood, and suicidality, with highest odds ratios among adolescents with both short and dissatisfying sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant associations between sleep insufficiency and mental health problems, attention to the sleep shortage among Korean adolescents is needed. Prospective studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationships between subjective and objective sleep insufficiency and psychiatric conditions.
Adolescent ; Depression ; Happiness ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Odds Ratio ; Prospective Studies ; Risk-Taking ; Suicidal Ideation

There exists a need to develop strategies that promote neovascularization in virtually all tissue engineering and regenerative medicine efforts. While research typically focuses on understanding and exploiting the role of angiogenic factors and vascular cells on new blood vessel formation, the activity of the immune system is being recognized to impact vascular formation and adaptation. This review will provide both an overview of the relationship of angiogenesis and the immune system, and how biomaterials may be designed to promote favorable angiogenesis by interaction between these 2 systems to promote effective vascularization.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Biocompatible Materials ; Blood Vessels ; Immune System ; Inflammation* ; Regenerative Medicine ; Tissue Engineering

The association of sexual victimization with self-esteem, depression, and problematic internet use was examined in Korean adolescents. A total of 695 middle and high school students were recruited (413 boys, 282 girls, mean age, 14.06±1.37 years). The participants were administered the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The associations between sexual abuse and the level of self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and problematic internet use were analyzed. Adolescents who had experienced sexual abuse showed lower self-esteem, more depressive symptoms, and greater problematic internet use compared with adolescents who had not experienced sexual abuse. In the path model, sexual abuse predicted lower self-esteem (β=−0.11; 95% CI=−0.20, −0.04; p=0.009), which predicted higher depressive symptoms (β=−0.34; 95% CI=−0.40, −0.27; p=0.008). Depressive symptoms predicted problematic internet use in a positive way (β=0.23; 95% CI=0.16–0.29; p=0.013). Sexual abuse also predicted problematic internet use directly (β=0.20; 95% CI=0.12–0.27; p=0.012). The results of the present study indicate that sexually abused adolescents had a higher risk of depression and problematic internet use. For sexually abused adolescents, programs aimed at raising self-esteem and preventing internet addiction, as well as mental health screening, are needed.
Adolescent* ; Crime Victims ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Internet* ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health ; Sex Offenses*

OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed to examine whether participants of a Korean candlelight rally had correct medical information about human mad cow disease and rational attitudes about imported U.S. beef in relation to human mad cow disease. METHODS: A total of 393 face-to-face interviews were conducted, and subjects completed questions about prevalence of senile dementia and human mad cow disease in U.S. and whether they will eat U.S. beef even if no cases of human mad cow disease occurred in the U.S. or if the chance of being affected with human mad cow disease was lower than dying in a plane crash. RESULTS: Correct answer rates to the questions about prevalence of senile dementia and human mad cow disease were 28.2% and 36.1%, respectively. A majority of respondents answered that they would not eat U.S. beef even if there were no reported cases of human mad cow disease in the U.S. or if their chance of being affected with human mad cow disease was lower than dying in a plane crash (75.6% and 86.0%, respectively). CONCLUSION: At least 64.4% of participants had incorrect medical information about human mad cow disease, and their attitudes about imported U.S. beef may be rooted in emotion rather than fact.
Adenine Nucleotides ; Alzheimer Disease ; Animals ; Cattle ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform ; Humans ; Korea ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Prevalence