PURPOSE: This study tries to systematically understand factors that explain levels of happiness among pregnant women in the Ecological systems theory. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 169 pregnant women in Korea. Collected data from self-report questionnaires were analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis using the SPSS statistics 23 program. RESULTS: A total of 5 models were examined according to individual, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem in the Ecological systems theory. In the first model including individual factors, extraversion, neuroticism, and physical and psychological change constitute significant factors explaining happiness. In the second model with microsystem factors and in the third one with mesosystem factors, marital intimacy appears to be a significant factor. In the fourth model including exosystem factors, community service is a significant factor. In the final model with social atmosphere, personality (β=.15 for extraversion; β=−.30 for neuroticism), physical and psychological change (β=−.15), marital intimacy (β=.35), and community service (β= .18) turn out to be significant. These factors explain 59% of the variance of happiness in the pregnant women in Korea. CONCLUSION: Considering the fact that pregnant women's happiness is explained by microsystem and exosystem factors as well as individual factors, developing intervention programs that can promote influencing factors such as marital intimacy and community service is necessary to improve levels of happiness among pregnant women in Korea.
Atmosphere ; Community Health Services ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Ecology ; Ecosystem ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Happiness ; Humans ; Korea ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Social Welfare

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship among personality characteristics, eating habits and food neophobia of high school students. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 512 students who were in the first and second grade in four different high schools in Gyeong-gi-province. The questionnaire was designed to examine the personality characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. RESULTS: The personality characteristics of both boys and girls had intimacy, openness/intelligence, extroversion, sincerity, and emotional stability from highest to lowest. The girls (2.00) had better eating habits than the boys (1.90)(p < 0.05). To examine the level of food neophobia using the FNS (Food Neophobia Scale), girls tended to score higher in the FNS than boys (36.36 vs. 34.06). The relationship between the personal characteristics and eating habits showed a positive correlation (p < 0.01). The relationship between the personal characteristics and food neophoia revealed a negative correlation with all personal characteristics (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study confirmed the relationship among personal characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. This study is expected to provide ways to teach teenagers how to support their proper eating habits and personality characteristics.
Adolescent ; Eating ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates lay beliefs about the etiology and treatments of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome, as well as identifying sociodemographic and personality variables affecting these beliefs among South Koreans. METHODS: In total, 673 participants (mean age 41.77±12.03 years) completed an online survey regarding their beliefs about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. The factors related to their lay beliefs about the disorders were analyzed, and the correlates were investigated. RESULTS: Results indicated that lay people in South Korea held strong beliefs that the causes of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome lie within the parenting/psychological and neurological/biological categories, compared to the dietary/environmental one. Among the sociodemographic variables, sex, age, and levels of subjective mental health knowledge were primarily associated with the aforementioned beliefs. Familiarity with tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome was also associated with these beliefs. Among the personality traits investigated, extraversion and conscientiousness had significant influences on the beliefs people had about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that both policy makers and mental health service providers should adopt a strategic approach for developing and implementing health education interventions about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome because individual sociodemographic variables, familiarity with the disorders, and personality traits are all associated with the beliefs about these disorders.
Administrative Personnel ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Health Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Mental Health Services ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Tic Disorders ; Tics ; Tourette Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship among personality characteristics, eating habits and food neophobia of high school students. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 512 students who were in the first and second grade in four different high schools in Gyeong-gi-province. The questionnaire was designed to examine the personality characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. RESULTS: The personality characteristics of both boys and girls had intimacy, openness/intelligence, extroversion, sincerity, and emotional stability from highest to lowest. The girls (2.00) had better eating habits than the boys (1.90)(p < 0.05). To examine the level of food neophobia using the FNS (Food Neophobia Scale), girls tended to score higher in the FNS than boys (36.36 vs. 34.06). The relationship between the personal characteristics and eating habits showed a positive correlation (p < 0.01). The relationship between the personal characteristics and food neophoia revealed a negative correlation with all personal characteristics (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study confirmed the relationship among personal characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. This study is expected to provide ways to teach teenagers how to support their proper eating habits and personality characteristics.
Adolescent ; Eating ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether aberrant tendency of noncurrent emotion was present in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and to explore its associations with various clinical profiles. METHODS: Fifty-seven individuals at UHR and 49 normal controls were enrolled. The tendency of experiencing noncurrent emotion was assessed using various noncurrent emotional self-reported formats, including trait [Neuroticism and Extraversion of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire], hypothetical (Chapman’s Revised Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales), and retrospective [Anhedonia-Asociality Subscale of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS)] measures. Self-related beliefs (Self-Perception Scale), clinical positive and negative symptoms (SA Positive Symptoms and SANS), psychosocial function (Global Functioning Scale: Role Function and Global Functioning Scale: Social Function) were also examined. RESULTS: Subjects at UHR for psychosis reported more trait unpleasant and less trait pleasant emotions, more hypothetical physical and social anhedonia, and more retrospective anhedonia than normal controls. In UHR, self-perception was correlated to trait unpleasant emotion and hypothetical physical and social anhedonia. Negative symptoms in UHR were associated with hypothetical physical anhedonia and retrospective anhedonia. Global social functioning was related to trait pleasant emotion, hypothetical physical and social anhedonia, and retrospective anhedonia. Neurocognitive function, positive symptoms, and global role functioning were not related with any noncurrent emotional experience measures in UHR. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the aberrant tendency of noncurrent emotional experience may be present at the ‘putative’ prodromal phase and are grossly associated with self-related beliefs and psychosocial functioning but not neurocognitive functioning.
Anhedonia ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Retrospective Studies ; Self Concept

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the present study were to explore the occurrence of childhood trauma and importantly to determine the impacts of childhood trauma on psychosocial features in a Chinese sample of young adults. METHODS: A survey was carried out in a group of 555 university students by using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Dysfunctional Attitudes Questionnaire (DAS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). The moderate-severe cut-off scores for CTQ were used to calculate the prevalence of childhood trauma, and then psychosocial features were compared between individuals with and without childhood trauma. RESULTS: A proportion of 18.6% of university students had self-reported childhood trauma exposures. Subjects with childhood trauma reported higher scores of SDS, SAS, DAS, and psychoticism and neuroticism dimensions of EPQ (t=4.311–5.551, p < 0.001); while lower scores of SSRS and extraversion dimension of EPQ (t=-4.061– -3.039, p < 0.01). Regression analyses further revealed that scores of SAS and DAS were positively (Adjusted B=0.211–0.230, p < 0.05), while scores of SSRS were negatively (Adjusted B=-0.273– -0.240, p < 0.05) associated with specific CTQ scores. CONCLUSION: Childhood trauma is still a common social and psychological problem. Individuals with childhood trauma show much more depression, anxiety, distorted cognition, personality deficits, and lower levels of social support, which may represent the social and psychological vulnerability for developing psychiatric disorders after childhood trauma experiences.
Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cognition ; Depression ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Young Adult*

OBJECTIVES: This study examined psychiatric characteristics including addictive behavior and personality traits among workers with hazardous drinking. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 486 workers. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were collected, and employed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Korean version (AUDIT-K), Korean translation of the Internet Addiction Test, Smartphone Addiction Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Korean version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (K-CD-RISC), Big Five Inventory-Korean version-10 (BFI-K-10). Hazardous drinking was identified with the AUDIT-K score of 10 in men and 6 in women. Univariate and logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors associated with hazardous drinking. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-eight (34.6%) workers reported hazardous drinking. It was more common in men and workers with lower levels of education, workers that smoked and experienced smartphone addiction, and had experienced attempted suicide. Among the assessment scales, scores on the HADS and PSS were higher, and scores on the K-CD-RISC were lower for these workers. Regarding scores for the BFI-K-10, higher extraversion, lower agreeableness, and lower openness were related to hazardous drinking. Logistic regression analysis revealed that smoking, smartphone addiction, history of attemptd suicide, and higher scores on extraversion of the BFI-K-10 were significantly associated with hazardous drinking. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that hazardous drinking tends to coexist with other addictive behaviors such as smoking and smartphone addiction. Clinicians should also be aware of suicidal risk in people with hazardous drinking.
Alcohol Drinking* ; Anxiety ; Behavior, Addictive* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Drinking ; Education ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Smartphone ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Suicide ; Suicide, Attempted ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: It has been known that mind-body training (MBT) can affect personality and behavior system as well as emotional well-being, but different effects of MBT on them has not been reported according to BDNF genetic polymorphism. METHODS: Healthy subjects consisted of 64 subjects and the MBT group who practiced meditation regularly consisted of 72 practitioners. Participants completed neuroticism-extraversion-openness (NEO) Five-Factor Inventory and Behavioral Activation System/Behavioral Inhibition System (BAS/BIS) scales. All subjects were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. RESULTS: In the same genotypes of the BDNF Val/Val+Val/Met group, MBT group showed the increased Extraversion (p=0.033) and the increased Openness to Experience (p=0.004) compared to the control group. Also, in the same Met/Met carriers, MBT group exhibited the increase of Extraversion (p=0.008), the reduction of Neuroticism (p=0.002), and the increase of Openness to Experience (p=0.008) compared to the control group. In the same genotypes of the BDNF Val/Val+Val/Met group, MBT group showed the decreased BAS-Reward Responsiveness (p=0.016) and the decrease of BIS (p=0.004) compared to the control group. In the BDNF Met/Met group, MBT group increased BAS-Fun Seeking (p=0.045) and decreased BIS (p=0.013) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: MBT would differently contribute to NEO personality and BAS/BIS according to BDNF genetic polymorphism, compensating for different vulnerable traits based on each genotype.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor* ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Genotype ; Meditation ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: Stress can substantially affect the symptoms and courses of mood disorders. Among the various factors of stress perception, one's personality traits and mood states are especially important. The aim of the current study is to examine the influences of personality traits on perceived stress in mood disorder, comparing depressive disorders and bipolar disorders. METHODS: Patients with depressive disorders (n=81) and bipolar disorders (n=79) and who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition diagnostic criteria were recruited. Stress perception was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Personality traits were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Neo-Five Factor Inventory. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine and determine the predictors that significantly affect perceived stress. RESULTS: Results of univariate linear regression analysis showed that neuroticism, harm avoidance, and novelty seeking were positively related to the PSS score in patients with bipolar disorder. However, agreeableness, self-directedness, extraversion, cooperativeness, and conscientiousness subscales were negatively related to the PSS score. In depressive patients as well, harm avoidance and neuroticism were positively related to the PSS score. Reward dependence, extraversion, agreeableness, self-directedness, and cooperativeness were negatively related to the PSS score. In multivariate linear analysis, self-directedness and extraversion were negatively associated with the PSS score in bipolar patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that personality traits associated with perceived stress may differ according to the subtypes of mood disorders. In addition, consideration of the differences in personality subtypes that affect perceived stress is probably required in order to establish strategies for decreasing perceived stress in mood disorder.
Bipolar Disorder ; Depressive Disorder ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Mood Disorders* ; Reward ; Temperament

Globus pharyngeus or globus sensation is the painless sensation of a lump in the throat and may be described as a foreign body sensation, a tightening or choking feeling. It is often associated with persistent clearing of the throat, chronic cough, hoarseness, and catarrh. Its etiology remains unclear ; however, laryngopharyngeal reflux may play a role in a subset of patients. Psychogenic problems have often been thought to cause or trigger the globus sensation. Personality studies have found higher levels of alexithymia, neuroticism, and psychological distress (including anxiety, low mood, and somatic concerns) and lower levels of extraversion in patients presenting with globus. Globus patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux exhibited weaker psychological symptoms than non- laryngopharyngeal reflux globus patients, and globus patients who did not respond to proton pump inhibitor had significantly higher anxiety scores. In cases with negative clinical investigations and consistent globus symptom, other treatment strategies, including speech therapy, antidepressants, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, should be considered.
Affective Symptoms ; Airway Obstruction ; Antidepressive Agents ; Anxiety ; Common Cold ; Cough ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Foreign Bodies ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux ; Pharynx ; Proton Pumps ; Sensation ; Speech Therapy