Objectives: This study examined the changes in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups in South Korea before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior (K-COMPASS) cohort. Methods: The K-COMPASS is a longitudinal cohort study that started in 2015. The participants included suicide attempters and individuals with suicidal ideation from various hospitals and mental health centers in South Korea. This study compared the sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics of 800 participants from the first cohort (2015–2019) with 511 participants from the second and third cohorts (2019–2024). Data were collected through structured interviews and validated scales. Results: The second and third cohort participants were younger, had a higher proportion of females, and exhibited more severe psychiatric symptoms and higher suicidal risk than the first cohort. The prevalence of physical illnesses decreased, while the use of psychiatric medications and the severity of mental health issues increased. In addition, significant sociodemographic changes were observed, such as higher educational levels and urban residency. Conclusion Significant shifts in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for targeted mental health interventions focusing on younger individuals and females to prevent suicide in high-risk groups.

Objectives: This study examined the changes in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups in South Korea before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior (K-COMPASS) cohort. Methods: The K-COMPASS is a longitudinal cohort study that started in 2015. The participants included suicide attempters and individuals with suicidal ideation from various hospitals and mental health centers in South Korea. This study compared the sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics of 800 participants from the first cohort (2015–2019) with 511 participants from the second and third cohorts (2019–2024). Data were collected through structured interviews and validated scales. Results: The second and third cohort participants were younger, had a higher proportion of females, and exhibited more severe psychiatric symptoms and higher suicidal risk than the first cohort. The prevalence of physical illnesses decreased, while the use of psychiatric medications and the severity of mental health issues increased. In addition, significant sociodemographic changes were observed, such as higher educational levels and urban residency. Conclusion Significant shifts in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for targeted mental health interventions focusing on younger individuals and females to prevent suicide in high-risk groups.

Objectives: This study examined the changes in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups in South Korea before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior (K-COMPASS) cohort. Methods: The K-COMPASS is a longitudinal cohort study that started in 2015. The participants included suicide attempters and individuals with suicidal ideation from various hospitals and mental health centers in South Korea. This study compared the sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics of 800 participants from the first cohort (2015–2019) with 511 participants from the second and third cohorts (2019–2024). Data were collected through structured interviews and validated scales. Results: The second and third cohort participants were younger, had a higher proportion of females, and exhibited more severe psychiatric symptoms and higher suicidal risk than the first cohort. The prevalence of physical illnesses decreased, while the use of psychiatric medications and the severity of mental health issues increased. In addition, significant sociodemographic changes were observed, such as higher educational levels and urban residency. Conclusion Significant shifts in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for targeted mental health interventions focusing on younger individuals and females to prevent suicide in high-risk groups.

Objectives: This study examined the changes in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups in South Korea before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior (K-COMPASS) cohort. Methods: The K-COMPASS is a longitudinal cohort study that started in 2015. The participants included suicide attempters and individuals with suicidal ideation from various hospitals and mental health centers in South Korea. This study compared the sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics of 800 participants from the first cohort (2015–2019) with 511 participants from the second and third cohorts (2019–2024). Data were collected through structured interviews and validated scales. Results: The second and third cohort participants were younger, had a higher proportion of females, and exhibited more severe psychiatric symptoms and higher suicidal risk than the first cohort. The prevalence of physical illnesses decreased, while the use of psychiatric medications and the severity of mental health issues increased. In addition, significant sociodemographic changes were observed, such as higher educational levels and urban residency. Conclusion Significant shifts in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for targeted mental health interventions focusing on younger individuals and females to prevent suicide in high-risk groups.

Background: Despite a plethora of research on the topic, there is still no solid evidence that pharmacological treatment actually reduces the risk of suicide in patients with mental illness.In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of psychotropic medications on suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BPD) in two age groups: less than 25 years and 25 years and older. Methods: We analyzed 312 patients with mood disorders with current suicidal thoughts or recent suicide attempts. We followed the participants from baseline for 6 months and assessed changes in suicidal ideation with Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).The effect of psychotropic drug administration on suicidal ideation over time was analyzed using a linear mixed model. Results: In patients aged 25 years and older with mood disorders, suicidal ideation was more severe when using psychotropic drugs than when not using them. However, suicidal ideation decreased rapidly over time. The time-dependent reduction in suicidal ideation was accelerated when using antidepressants and sedatives/hypnotics in adult MDD, and when using mood stabilizers in adult BPD. However, this effect was not observed in participants aged less than 25 years. Conclusion Adequate psychotropic medication may reduce suicidal ideation in patients with mood disorders aged 25 years and older. Additional research on psychotropic drugs is needed to effectively reduce the risk of suicide among children and adolescents with mood disorders.

Background: A decline in masticatory function may indicate brain dysfunction related to dementia, but the relationship between masticatory function and dementia risk remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether masticatory function is associated with the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Methods: Data were obtained from the nationwide prospective cohort study of randomly sampled community-dwelling Koreans aged ≥ 60 years. The 5,064 non-demented participants, whose number of chewing cycles per bite was assessed by clinical interview, were followed for 8 years with biennial assessments of cognitive performance and clinical diagnoses of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Structural brain magnetic resonance imaging was collected from a subset of cohort participants and their spouses for imaging analyses. Results: Males who chewed ≥ 30 cycles/bite had faster decline in global cognition and memory function and were at higher risk for incident all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–7.18) and AD (HR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.14–9.11) compared to males with less than 10 cycles/bite. Additionally, increased chewing cycles in males were associated with reduced brain volume, particularly in regions involved in compensatory cognitive control of mastication. There was no significant association between chewing cycles and the risk of dementia or brain volume in females. Conclusion Older men who frequently chew their meals could be considered a notable population at risk for dementia who should be carefully assessed for their cognitive trajectories.

This study compared the solubility, water absorption, dimensional stability, release of various ions (hydroxyl, calcium, sulfur, strontium, and silicon), and cytotoxicity of lightcured resin-modified pulp-capping materials. Resin-modified calcium hydroxide (Ultrablend™ plus, UBP), light-cured resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal LC™, TLC), and dual-cure resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal PT™, TPT) were used. Each material was polymerized; solubility, 24-hour water absorption, and 30- day dimensional stability experiments were conducted to test its physical properties. Solubility was assessed according to the ISO 6876 standard, and 24 hours of water absorption, 30 days of dimensional stability were assessed by referring to the previous protocol respectively. Eluates at 3 and 24 hours and on 7, 14, and 28 days were analyzed according to the ISO 10993-12 standard. And the pH, Ion-releasing ability, cell proliferation rate, and cell viability were assessed using the eluates to evaluate biochemical characteristics. pH was measured with a pH meter and Ion-releasing ability was assessed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Cell proliferation rate and cell viability were assessed using human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). The former was assessed by an absorbance assay using the CCK-8 solution, and the latter was assessed by Live and Dead staining. TPT exhibited lower solubility and water absorption than TLC. UBP and TPT demonstrated higher stability than TLC. The release of sulfur, strontium, calcium, and hydroxyl ions was higher for TLC and TPT than for UBP. The 28-day release of hydroxyl and silicon ions was similar for TLC and TPT. TLC alone exhibited a lower cell proliferation rate compared to the control group at a dilution ratio of 1 : 2 in cell proliferation and dead cells from Live and Dead assay evaluation. Thus, when using light-cure resin-modified pulp-capping materials, calcium silicate-based materials can be considered alternatives to calcium hydroxide-based materials. Moreover, when comparing physical and biochemical properties, TPT could be prioritized over TLC as the first choice.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the thoughts of the general population regarding life-sustaining treatment for both oneself and family members and to assess the factors associated with those thoughts. Methods: A total of 1,500 individuals participated in this study by completing a questionnaire consisting of self-reporting items with some instructions, basic demographic information, thoughts on life-sustaining treatment, and psychosocial scales. The disease status was calculated using the Charlson Comorbidity Index. The psychosocial scales included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Results: The majority of participants did not want to receive life-sustaining treatment for both themselves and their families. However, more people wanted life-sustaining treatment for their family members (35.9%) than for themselves (21.6%). Among the basic demographic characteristics, there were significant differences in age, sex, marital status, living arrangements, occupational status, religion, and disease status. Regarding the psychosocial scales, there were significant differences in the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores between the group that preferred life-sustaining treatment for family members and the group that did not. Conclusion The findings suggest that life-sustaining treatment decisions for oneself and for one’s family members can be different. We recommend a more clear expression of one’s preferences regarding the last moments of one’s life, including advance directives.

Objective: Suicide is a significant public health issue, with South Korea having the highest suicide rate among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. This study aimed to develop clinical guidelines for suicide prevention in psychiatric patients in Korea using the ADAPTE methodology. Methods: The development process involved a comprehensive review of literature, expert consultations, and consensus-building using the Nominal Group Technique and Delphi method. The guidelines focus on evidence-based psychiatric treatments, including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, tailored to the Korean context. Key findings underscoring the need for standardized treatment protocols for patients with major psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. Results: The guidelines incorporate treatments like lithium, clozapine, atypical antipsychotics, electroconvulsive therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, which have shown effectiveness in suicide prevention. Applicability and acceptability within Korea’s healthcare system were addressed, ensuring feasibility given the country’s medical insurance coverage and accessibility. The guidelines were validated through expert reviews and Delphi rounds, achieving consensus on the final recommendations. Conclusion The developed guidelines provide a structured, evidence-based approach to reducing suicide rates among psychiatric patients in Korea. Future research will focus on expanding these guidelines to include screening protocols for high-risk groups.

Objective: Successful transition to school is of great importance to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to develop a school readiness inventory for Korean children with ASD, and demonstrate its content validity and reliability. Methods: The Korean School Readiness Inventory (K-SRI) was developed to assess current levels of some fundamental skills needed for attending school for children with ASD. The K-SRI was comprised of four subscales and 16 test items: Self-help skills, Social and emotional development, School behavior, and Literacy and numeracy skills. For content validity, six experts rated the validity of the test items. Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was calculated. For reliability, parents of 22 children with ASD entering school completed the KSRI twice. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated for internal consistency. The test–retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: All the items except two items in the literacy and numeracy skills did not show a CVR of 1. The two items were deleted resulting in a 14-item inventory. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the K-SRI was 0.93, showing good internal consistency reliability. The test– retest reliability results showed ICC value of 0.93 (p<0.001), which indicates good stability. Conclusion A parent-rated, 14-item school readiness inventory for Korean children with ASD were developed and preliminary evidence of its content validity and reliability were demonstrated in this study. The present study provides a basis for future studies that would further help evaluate and promote school readiness of the children with ASD.