Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP on attitudes toward severe mental illness, counselor self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion in psychiatric mental health nurses. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants included 47 psychiatric mental health nurses. The program consisted of 14 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, conducted over four weeks (three to four sessions per week). Its effectiveness was assessed using pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test with the Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness Scale, Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale, and Emotional Exhaustion Scale. Data were analyzed using x2 tests, Fisher’s exact probability test, t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA in IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in attitudes toward severe mental illness (F=3.29, p=.047) and counseling self-efficacy (F=7.14, p=.002) compared to the control group. Conclusion The narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP effectively enhances counselor self-efficacy and attitudes toward severe mental illness in psychiatric mental health nurses. These findings suggest its potential as a valuable nurse training program.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP on attitudes toward severe mental illness, counselor self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion in psychiatric mental health nurses. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants included 47 psychiatric mental health nurses. The program consisted of 14 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, conducted over four weeks (three to four sessions per week). Its effectiveness was assessed using pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test with the Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness Scale, Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale, and Emotional Exhaustion Scale. Data were analyzed using x2 tests, Fisher’s exact probability test, t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA in IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in attitudes toward severe mental illness (F=3.29, p=.047) and counseling self-efficacy (F=7.14, p=.002) compared to the control group. Conclusion The narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP effectively enhances counselor self-efficacy and attitudes toward severe mental illness in psychiatric mental health nurses. These findings suggest its potential as a valuable nurse training program.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP on attitudes toward severe mental illness, counselor self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion in psychiatric mental health nurses. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants included 47 psychiatric mental health nurses. The program consisted of 14 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, conducted over four weeks (three to four sessions per week). Its effectiveness was assessed using pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test with the Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness Scale, Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale, and Emotional Exhaustion Scale. Data were analyzed using x2 tests, Fisher’s exact probability test, t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA in IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in attitudes toward severe mental illness (F=3.29, p=.047) and counseling self-efficacy (F=7.14, p=.002) compared to the control group. Conclusion The narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP effectively enhances counselor self-efficacy and attitudes toward severe mental illness in psychiatric mental health nurses. These findings suggest its potential as a valuable nurse training program.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP on attitudes toward severe mental illness, counselor self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion in psychiatric mental health nurses. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants included 47 psychiatric mental health nurses. The program consisted of 14 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, conducted over four weeks (three to four sessions per week). Its effectiveness was assessed using pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test with the Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness Scale, Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale, and Emotional Exhaustion Scale. Data were analyzed using x2 tests, Fisher’s exact probability test, t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA in IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in attitudes toward severe mental illness (F=3.29, p=.047) and counseling self-efficacy (F=7.14, p=.002) compared to the control group. Conclusion The narrative therapy training program using MetaverseZEP effectively enhances counselor self-efficacy and attitudes toward severe mental illness in psychiatric mental health nurses. These findings suggest its potential as a valuable nurse training program.

Purpose: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is primarily synthesized in the liver upon stimulation of infectious disease cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), and is used as a biological marker of systemic inflammation. Previous studies reported that hs-CRP is closely related to diet and abdominal obesity. Furthermore, a dietary score favoring the consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains over meat and saturated fat reduced inflammation and decreased the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity. Nevertheless, no studies have examined whether hs-CRP mediates the relationship between dietary scores and abdominal obesity, and research on the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) is lacking. Therefore, the present study examined the association between the KHEI and abdominal obesity and the mediating effect of hs-CRP. Methods: In total, 17,770 adults aged ≥19 years were included in the study using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018. KHEI was developed to assess the overall diet quality of Korean adults. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between KHEI, hs-CRP, and abdominal obesity. The mediation analysis with the bootstrapping method was performed using SAS MACRO. Results: Among women, the odds ratio (OR) of abdominal obesity prevalence was lower in the highest KHEI compared to the lowest KHEI after adjusting for age, body mass index, educational level, income level, occupational status, marital status, household type, region type, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, total energy intake, and hsCRP (OR 0.744, 95% confidence interval 0.598–0.926). The association between KHEI and abdominal obesity was partially mediated via hs-CRP, and the mediated proportion was 68.7% in men and 38.1% in women. Conclusion A substantial relationship was observed between the KHEI and abdominal obesity among females. Moreover, according to the KHEI, abdominal obesity may be mediated partially by hs-CRP.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.

We aimed to develop evidence-based recommendations for treating axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) in Korea. The development committee was constructed, key clinical questions were determined, and the evidence was searched through online databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, KoreaMed, and KMbase. Systematic literature reviews were conducted, quality of evidence was determined, and draft recommendations were formulated according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluations methodology. Recommendations that reached 80% consensus among a voting panel were finalized. Three principles and 21 recommendations were determined. Recommendations 1 and 2 pertain to treatment strategies, regular disease status assessment, and rheumatologist-steered multidisciplinary management. Recommendations 3 and 4 strongly recommend patient education, exercise, and smoking cessation. Recommendations 5~12 address pharmacological treatment of active disease using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, sulfasalazine, biologics, and Janus kinase inhibitors.Recommendations 13~16 address treatment in stable disease. We suggest against spa and acupuncture as therapies (Recommendation 17). Recommendations 18 and 19 pertain to total hip arthroplasty and spinal surgery. Monitoring of comorbidities and drug toxicities are recommended (Recommendations 20 and 21). Recommendations for axSpA treatment in a Korean context were developed based on comprehensive clinical questions and evidence. These are intended to guide best practice in the treatment of axSpA.

We aimed to develop evidence-based recommendations for treating axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) in Korea. The development committee was constructed, key clinical questions were determined, and the evidence was searched through online databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, KoreaMed, and Kmbase. Systematic literature reviews were conducted, quality of evidence was determined, and draft recommendations were formulated according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluations methodology. Recommendations that reached 80% consensus among a voting panel were finalized. Three principles and 21 recommendations were determined. Recommendations 1 and 2 pertain to treatment strategies, regular disease status assessment, and rheumatologist-steered multidisciplinary management. Recommendations 3 and 4 strongly recommend patient education, exercise, and smoking cessation. Recommendations 5–12 address pharmacological treatment of active disease using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, sulfasalazine, biologics, and Janus kinase inhibitors. Recommendations 13–16 address treatment in stable disease. We suggest against spa and acupuncture as therapies (Recommendation 17). Recommendations 18 and 19 pertain to total hip arthroplasty and spinal surgery. Monitoring of comorbidities and drug toxicities are recommended (Recommendations 20 and 21). Recommendations for axSpA treatment in a Korean context were developed based on comprehensive clinical questions and evidence. These are intended to guide best practice in the treatment of axSpA.