Background: This study aims to delineate the characteristic features of adjustment disorder (AjD) from those of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and assess the discriminant validity of Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 PTSD measures by comparing self-reported data from an outpatient cohort. Methods: The study participants included psychiatric outpatients at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.Psychological assessments comprised the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the National Stressful Events Survey-PTSD Short Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Results: A total of 149 responses (51 participants with AjD and 98 with PTSD) were analyzed. It was observed that workplace conflict was the most common stressor among AjD patients (29%), while traffic accidents were the primary trauma source for PTSD patients (39%). Individuals with AjD reported significantly lower levels of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, along with a higher quality of life. After controlling for educational level as a covariate, the differences in PTSD and depressive symptoms remained significant. Conclusion The findings of this study support the discriminant validity of DSM-5 PTSD measures for AjD and reinforce the notion that that AjD represents a milder form within the stress response spectrum.

Background: This study aims to delineate the characteristic features of adjustment disorder (AjD) from those of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and assess the discriminant validity of Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 PTSD measures by comparing self-reported data from an outpatient cohort. Methods: The study participants included psychiatric outpatients at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.Psychological assessments comprised the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the National Stressful Events Survey-PTSD Short Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Results: A total of 149 responses (51 participants with AjD and 98 with PTSD) were analyzed. It was observed that workplace conflict was the most common stressor among AjD patients (29%), while traffic accidents were the primary trauma source for PTSD patients (39%). Individuals with AjD reported significantly lower levels of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, along with a higher quality of life. After controlling for educational level as a covariate, the differences in PTSD and depressive symptoms remained significant. Conclusion The findings of this study support the discriminant validity of DSM-5 PTSD measures for AjD and reinforce the notion that that AjD represents a milder form within the stress response spectrum.

Background: This study aims to delineate the characteristic features of adjustment disorder (AjD) from those of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and assess the discriminant validity of Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 PTSD measures by comparing self-reported data from an outpatient cohort. Methods: The study participants included psychiatric outpatients at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.Psychological assessments comprised the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the National Stressful Events Survey-PTSD Short Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Results: A total of 149 responses (51 participants with AjD and 98 with PTSD) were analyzed. It was observed that workplace conflict was the most common stressor among AjD patients (29%), while traffic accidents were the primary trauma source for PTSD patients (39%). Individuals with AjD reported significantly lower levels of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, along with a higher quality of life. After controlling for educational level as a covariate, the differences in PTSD and depressive symptoms remained significant. Conclusion The findings of this study support the discriminant validity of DSM-5 PTSD measures for AjD and reinforce the notion that that AjD represents a milder form within the stress response spectrum.

Background: This study aims to delineate the characteristic features of adjustment disorder (AjD) from those of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and assess the discriminant validity of Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 PTSD measures by comparing self-reported data from an outpatient cohort. Methods: The study participants included psychiatric outpatients at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.Psychological assessments comprised the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the National Stressful Events Survey-PTSD Short Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Results: A total of 149 responses (51 participants with AjD and 98 with PTSD) were analyzed. It was observed that workplace conflict was the most common stressor among AjD patients (29%), while traffic accidents were the primary trauma source for PTSD patients (39%). Individuals with AjD reported significantly lower levels of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, along with a higher quality of life. After controlling for educational level as a covariate, the differences in PTSD and depressive symptoms remained significant. Conclusion The findings of this study support the discriminant validity of DSM-5 PTSD measures for AjD and reinforce the notion that that AjD represents a milder form within the stress response spectrum.

Background: This study aims to delineate the characteristic features of adjustment disorder (AjD) from those of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and assess the discriminant validity of Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 PTSD measures by comparing self-reported data from an outpatient cohort. Methods: The study participants included psychiatric outpatients at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.Psychological assessments comprised the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the National Stressful Events Survey-PTSD Short Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Results: A total of 149 responses (51 participants with AjD and 98 with PTSD) were analyzed. It was observed that workplace conflict was the most common stressor among AjD patients (29%), while traffic accidents were the primary trauma source for PTSD patients (39%). Individuals with AjD reported significantly lower levels of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, along with a higher quality of life. After controlling for educational level as a covariate, the differences in PTSD and depressive symptoms remained significant. Conclusion The findings of this study support the discriminant validity of DSM-5 PTSD measures for AjD and reinforce the notion that that AjD represents a milder form within the stress response spectrum.

Objective: The Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R) is a widely used self-report for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), originally aligned with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the IES-R under the DSM-5 guidelines and establish a cutoff point for DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis. Methods: A total of 238 participants recruited from multiple psychiatric centers, including 67 patients with PTSD, 72 patients with psychiatric controls, and 99 healthy controls, were included in the study. All participants completed the Korean version of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 research version to confirm the presence of PTSD, the Korean version of PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: The IES-R demonstrated good internal consistency and a high correlation with the PCL-5. Through factor analysis, 5 distinct dimensions emerged within the IES-R: sleep disturbance, intrusion, hyperarousal, avoidance, and numbness-dissociation. A proposed cutoff score of 25 on the IES-R was suggested for identifying patients with PTSD. Conclusion These findings underscore the scale’s concurrent validity with the DSM-5 PTSD criteria and its effectiveness as a screening tool. Implementing a cutoff score of 25 on the IES-R can enhance its utility in identifying DSM-5 PTSD cases.

Objectives: ：This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of sleep quality and interpretation bias for ambiguity in the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation in psychiatric patients. Methods: ：A total of 231 psychiatric outpatients and inpatients completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Ambiguous/Unambiguous Situations Diary-Extended Version, and Ultra-Short Suicidal Ideation Scale. Data analysis was conducted using regression analyses and bootstrap sampling. Results: ：The results of this study showed that hopelessness had a direct effect on suicidal ideation, and that sleep quality and interpretation bias for ambiguity mediated the association between hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Moreover, there was a significant double mediating effect of sleep quality and interpretation bias for am-biguity on the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Conclusions ：These results suggest that it is important to consider both sleep quality and interpretation bias for ambiguity to prevent hopelessness from leading to suicidal idea. These results suggest that considering both sleep quality and interpretation bias for ambiguity may be important in preventing hopelessness from leading to suicidal ideation.

Objectives: An accurate and easy-to-identify form is needed for the early evaluation of suicidal ideation in high-risk patients. Therefore, this study examined the validity and reliability of a Korean version of the Ultra-Short Suicidal Ideation Scale (K-USSIS). Methods: A total of 161 psychiatric university-affiliated general hospital patients completed the K-USSIS. The data were analyzed using correlation, internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: First, the scale had good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s α of 0.94. Second, the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the single-factor model had a reasonable fit (comparative fit index=0.99, Tucker–Lewis index=0.98, standardized root mean squared residual=0.01, and root mean square error of approximation=0.10). Finally, the convergent validity analysis revealed a significant positive correlation with depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Conclusion The findings suggest that the K-USSIS has good psychometric properties and can serve as a valuable tool for screening for suicidal ideation to ensure early intervention in Korean psychiatric patients.

Objective: This study presents the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5) (K-PCL-5) and the short form (K-PCL-5-S). Methods: Seventy-one subjects with PTSD, 74 subjects with mood or anxiety disorders, and 99 healthy controls were enrolled. The Korean version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5-research version was used to confirm the presence of PTSD. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to evaluate the concurrent validity of the K-PCL-5 and K-PCL-5-S. Results: It presented good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.93) and test-retest reliability (r=0.90). The K-PCL-5 and K-PCL-5-S were highly correlated with the BDI-II, BAI, IES-R, STAI-S, and STAI-T. The suggested cutoff score for PTSD was 33 for the K-PCL-5 with a sensitivity of 88.51 and specificity of 89.09, and 6 for the K-PCL-5-S with a sensitivity of 91.95 and specificity of 89.09. The data were best explained with a one-factor model. Conclusion These results demonstrated the good reliability and validity of the K-PCL-5 and K-PCL-5-S, and their suitability as simple tools for PTSD assessment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to classify patients with suicidal tendencies into suicide attempts (SA), suicidal ideation (SI), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and to identify differences in temperaments and characters of the groups. It also aimed to identify difference between the groups and non-suicidal tendencies. Methods: Using psychiatric diagnostic data of 195 patients, temperaments and characters were measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the level of depression was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory. The subjects were classified into SA, SI, NSSI, psychiatric patients without suicidal tendencies (PP), and non-patient (Normal) groups, and multivariate analysis of variance and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. Results: The NSSI group had higher novelty seeking compared to the SI group, while having higher harm avoidance, lower persistence, and lower self-directedness compared to the SA group. Furthermore, low persistence was a better predictor for the SA group between SA and NSSI groups, and low novelty seeking was found to be a better predictor for the SI group between the SI and NSSI groups. Conclusion As a result, the group differences in temperaments and characters were found, which would be useful to identify patients with suicidal tendencies and provide appropriate interventions tailored to the temperaments and characters of each group.