Objectives: This study investigated the awareness and acceptance of digital therapeutics (DTx) among psychiatrists in South Korea, providing empirical insights to support future clinical implementation and dissemination. Methods: An online survey targeting 50 psychiatrists was conducted from October 2024 to February 2025. Descriptive statistics were performed on completed responses (n=36), focusing on DTx-related awareness and acceptance. Results: Most participants were aware of DTx, but few had experience prescribing it. They had positive expectations of increased treatment options and efficacy, with most information obtained through exhibitions and conferences. The key factors influencing the intention to use included reimbursement availability and the feasibility of integration with the electronic medical records. Many were motivated by interest in novel treatments and were willing to use DTx if peer adoption increased. The primary concern was uncertainty around reimbursement, and DTx was generally preferred as an adjunctive treatment. The appropriate cost for six sessions was considered to be 150000 KRW (approximately 110 USD) or less. The participants emphasized evidence-based effectiveness, convenience, and efficiency when promoting patient engagement. The need for incorporating DTx education into psychiatric residency training was also recognized. Conclusion This study is the first of its kind in South Korea to explore psychiatrists’ perspectives on DTx, offering foundational insights to help develop policy and education strategies for clinical and institutional implementation.

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of depression, fear of falling, and activities of daily living (ADL) on the quality of life (QoL) among patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in South Korea. Methods: This study adopted a prospective cross-sectional design. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 70 SCI patients who visited the outpatient department of rehabilitation medicine. The data collection period was from October 16, 2017 to February 2, 2018. Participants’ American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale classifications were C and D. Results: The study found that QoL correlated with self-rated health (Spearman rho=.41, p<.001), SCI duration (Spearman rho=-.26, p=.030), depressive symptoms (Spearman rho=-.43, p<001), and fear of falling (Spearman rho=-.75, p<.001). Additionally, QoL was associated with fear of falling (β=-.68, p<.001) and SCI duration (β=-.18, p=.025) in the regression analyses. These results were significant and accounted for 59.5% of the variance in QoL. Conclusion Interventions targeting the QoL of patients with SCI can help reduce the fear of falling.

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of depression, fear of falling, and activities of daily living (ADL) on the quality of life (QoL) among patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in South Korea. Methods: This study adopted a prospective cross-sectional design. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 70 SCI patients who visited the outpatient department of rehabilitation medicine. The data collection period was from October 16, 2017 to February 2, 2018. Participants’ American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale classifications were C and D. Results: The study found that QoL correlated with self-rated health (Spearman rho=.41, p<.001), SCI duration (Spearman rho=-.26, p=.030), depressive symptoms (Spearman rho=-.43, p<001), and fear of falling (Spearman rho=-.75, p<.001). Additionally, QoL was associated with fear of falling (β=-.68, p<.001) and SCI duration (β=-.18, p=.025) in the regression analyses. These results were significant and accounted for 59.5% of the variance in QoL. Conclusion Interventions targeting the QoL of patients with SCI can help reduce the fear of falling.

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of depression, fear of falling, and activities of daily living (ADL) on the quality of life (QoL) among patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in South Korea. Methods: This study adopted a prospective cross-sectional design. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 70 SCI patients who visited the outpatient department of rehabilitation medicine. The data collection period was from October 16, 2017 to February 2, 2018. Participants’ American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale classifications were C and D. Results: The study found that QoL correlated with self-rated health (Spearman rho=.41, p<.001), SCI duration (Spearman rho=-.26, p=.030), depressive symptoms (Spearman rho=-.43, p<001), and fear of falling (Spearman rho=-.75, p<.001). Additionally, QoL was associated with fear of falling (β=-.68, p<.001) and SCI duration (β=-.18, p=.025) in the regression analyses. These results were significant and accounted for 59.5% of the variance in QoL. Conclusion Interventions targeting the QoL of patients with SCI can help reduce the fear of falling.

Background: Although depression and motion sickness are prevalent in military personnel and seafarers, the association between depression and seasickness has been not yet elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the relationship of depression with initial susceptibility and adaptation to seasickness amongst military seafarers. Methods: This retrospective cohort enrolled Navy seafarers who started seafaring between 2017 and 2019. Three groups were established according to the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score: no depression (BDI score of 0), minimal depression (BDI score 1–9), and mild-tomoderate depression (BDI score 10–29). The occurrence of seasickness requiring treatment was observed as the prescription of medication for the first 30 distant seafaring days.Considering adjustment period, the two different outcomes were defined. The susceptibility to seasickness was evaluated via at least one day suffered from seasickness requiring treatment during the early period (the first 5 seafaring days), and adaptation ability to seasickness was defined by more than 10% of the ratio, calculated days suffered from seasickness requiring treatment/days of seafaring during the late period (the 6–30th seafaring days). Binary logistic regression was further evaluated to estimate the odds of BDI groups and BDI score adjusted for age and workplace whether outside visual perception was possible. Results: Among the 185 recruits, 179 participants (97%) sailed for more than 5 days were included in the study. Of the participants, 36% was susceptible to seasickness in the early and 17% was poorly adapted to seasickness in the late period. Multivariable model revealed that mild-to-moderate depression had elevated risk of poor adaptation (odds ratio [OR], 4.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31–16.98) whereas the results were not statistically significant for susceptibility to seasickness in the early period BDI score was independently associated with increased odds of poor adaptation (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04–1.18). Conclusion The present study suggests that depression is associated with poor adaptation to seasickness in Navy seafarers. Depression screening tool might be helpful for providing preventable strategies for population at risk.

Background: The purpose of this study was to review the nationwide emergency care-related health policies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disaster in Korea and to analyze the effects of the policies on the safety of patients who visit emergency departments (EDs) during this period. Methods: This study is a quasi-experiment study. The study population was patients who visited all 402 EDs in Korea between December 31, 2019 and May 13, 2020, using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database. The study period was classified into 5 phases according to the level of national crisis warning of infectious disease and the implementation of emergency care-related health policies, and all study phases were 27 days. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and the secondary outcome was length of stay (LOS) in the ED during the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: The number of ED visits during the study period was 2,636,341, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 1.4%. The number of ED visits decreased from 803,160 in phase 1 to 496,619 in phase 5 during the study period. For in-hospital mortality, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) was 0.77 (0.74–0.79) in phase 5 compared to phase 3. Additionally, by subgroup, the ORs were 0.69 (0.57–0.83) for the patients with acute myocardial infarction and 0.76 (0.67–0.87) for severe trauma in phase 5 compared to phase 3. The ED LOS increased while the number of ED visits decreased as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, and the ED LOS declined after policy implementation (beta coefficient: −5.3 [−6.5 to −4.2] minutes in phase 5 compared to phase 3). Conclusion Implementing appropriate emergency care policies in the COVID-19 pandemic would have contributed to improving the safety of all emergency patients and reducing inhospital mortality by preventing excessive deaths.

Background: The purpose of this study was to review the nationwide emergency care-related health policies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disaster in Korea and to analyze the effects of the policies on the safety of patients who visit emergency departments (EDs) during this period. Methods: This study is a quasi-experiment study. The study population was patients who visited all 402 EDs in Korea between December 31, 2019 and May 13, 2020, using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database. The study period was classified into 5 phases according to the level of national crisis warning of infectious disease and the implementation of emergency care-related health policies, and all study phases were 27 days. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and the secondary outcome was length of stay (LOS) in the ED during the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: The number of ED visits during the study period was 2,636,341, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 1.4%. The number of ED visits decreased from 803,160 in phase 1 to 496,619 in phase 5 during the study period. For in-hospital mortality, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) was 0.77 (0.74–0.79) in phase 5 compared to phase 3. Additionally, by subgroup, the ORs were 0.69 (0.57–0.83) for the patients with acute myocardial infarction and 0.76 (0.67–0.87) for severe trauma in phase 5 compared to phase 3. The ED LOS increased while the number of ED visits decreased as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, and the ED LOS declined after policy implementation (beta coefficient: −5.3 [−6.5 to −4.2] minutes in phase 5 compared to phase 3). Conclusion Implementing appropriate emergency care policies in the COVID-19 pandemic would have contributed to improving the safety of all emergency patients and reducing inhospital mortality by preventing excessive deaths.