The global burden of mental illness has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, despite this rising burden, the utilization of mental health services remains critically low compared to other countries. This study evaluated successful integrated treatment centers from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to identify the best practices that can be applied to South Korean society. These international examples informed the development of Mind the SHIM (SNUH Health in Mind) center, an integrated treatment model designed to address the gaps in non-pharmacological mental health services in South Korea. Mind the SHIM center focuses on developing and validating programs tailored to local needs, emphasizing professional education, systematic program delivery, and community collaboration. The biopsychosocial approach of the center is expected to enhance the overall quality of life of the patients and increase the utilization of mental health services, reducing the broader economic and social burden of mental illness in South Korea.

The global burden of mental illness has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, despite this rising burden, the utilization of mental health services remains critically low compared to other countries. This study evaluated successful integrated treatment centers from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to identify the best practices that can be applied to South Korean society. These international examples informed the development of Mind the SHIM (SNUH Health in Mind) center, an integrated treatment model designed to address the gaps in non-pharmacological mental health services in South Korea. Mind the SHIM center focuses on developing and validating programs tailored to local needs, emphasizing professional education, systematic program delivery, and community collaboration. The biopsychosocial approach of the center is expected to enhance the overall quality of life of the patients and increase the utilization of mental health services, reducing the broader economic and social burden of mental illness in South Korea.

The global burden of mental illness has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, despite this rising burden, the utilization of mental health services remains critically low compared to other countries. This study evaluated successful integrated treatment centers from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to identify the best practices that can be applied to South Korean society. These international examples informed the development of Mind the SHIM (SNUH Health in Mind) center, an integrated treatment model designed to address the gaps in non-pharmacological mental health services in South Korea. Mind the SHIM center focuses on developing and validating programs tailored to local needs, emphasizing professional education, systematic program delivery, and community collaboration. The biopsychosocial approach of the center is expected to enhance the overall quality of life of the patients and increase the utilization of mental health services, reducing the broader economic and social burden of mental illness in South Korea.

The global burden of mental illness has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, despite this rising burden, the utilization of mental health services remains critically low compared to other countries. This study evaluated successful integrated treatment centers from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to identify the best practices that can be applied to South Korean society. These international examples informed the development of Mind the SHIM (SNUH Health in Mind) center, an integrated treatment model designed to address the gaps in non-pharmacological mental health services in South Korea. Mind the SHIM center focuses on developing and validating programs tailored to local needs, emphasizing professional education, systematic program delivery, and community collaboration. The biopsychosocial approach of the center is expected to enhance the overall quality of life of the patients and increase the utilization of mental health services, reducing the broader economic and social burden of mental illness in South Korea.

Background: The adequate dose of levothyroxine (LT4) for patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy (TT) for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is uncertain. We evaluated the LT4 dose required to achieve mild thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression in DTC patients after TT. Methods: The electronic medical records of patients who underwent TT for DTC and received mild TSH suppression therapy were reviewed. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between LT4 dose (μg/kg) and an ordinal group divided by body mass index (BMI). We also evaluated the trend in LT4 doses among groups divided by BMI and age. Results: In total, 123 patients achieved mild TSH suppression (0.1 to 0.5 mIU/L). The BMI variable was divided into three categories: <23 kg/m2 (n=46), ≥23 and <25 kg/m2 (n=30), and ≥25 kg/m2 (n=47). In the linear regression analysis, BMI was negatively associated with the LT4 dose after adjusting for age and sex (P<0.001). The LT4 doses required to achieve mild TSH suppression based on the BMI categories were 1.86, 1.71, and 1.71 μg/kg, respectively (P for trend <0.001). Further analysis with groups divided by age and BMI revealed that a higher BMI was related to a lower LT4 dose, especially in younger patients aged 20 to 39 (P for trend=0.011). Conclusion The study results suggest an appropriate LT4 dose for mild TSH suppression after TT based on body weight in patients with DTC. Considering body weight, BMI, and age in estimating LT4 doses might help to achieve the target TSH level promptly.

Objectives: This study verified the diagnostic validity of the Comprehensive Attention Test (CAT) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: A total of 336 participants were recruited in this study, including 168 patients with ADHD and 168 control group participants who were one-to-one matched for sex and age. We measured selective attention (visual and auditory), sustained attention, interferenceselective attention, divided attention, and working memory in the ADHD and control groups using the CAT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the CAT were calculated. Results: In this study, it was found that the sensitivity and specificity of the CAT were 0.879 and 0.846 in children, 0.855 and 0.838 in adolescents, and 0.800 and 0.733 in adults, respectively. Conclusion These results indicate that the CAT has a high diagnostic validity for ADHD from childhood to adulthood.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to compare the genetic architecture of schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) in a Korean population by analyzing polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from large-scale psychiatric disorder genome-wide association study data, based on genetic information collected from SCZ, BD, and healthy control groups. Methods: The study included 713 Korean patients with SCZ, 1,317 with BD, 526 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the Korean Biobank Array. PRS-continuous shrinkage method was used to calculate the PRS. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to determine the association between SCZ or BD disorder and PRS after adjusting for sex. Results: ANCOVA revealed significant differences in PRS values by diagnosis for PRS for SCZ (F=215.281, p<0.001), PRS for BD (F=13.811, p<0.001), and PRS for major depressive disorder (F=6.042, p=0.002). Post-hoc analysis showed that PRS for SCZ was highest in SCZ, followed by BD, and healthy controls. PRS for BD was elevated in both BD and SCZ compared to healthy controls. Conclusion Our study revealed quantitative differences in genetic architecture between SCZ and BD compared to healthy controls, while also suggesting a shared genetic background between the two disorders.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the pathogens of bloodstream infection in children with underlying hemato-oncologic diseases, analyze susceptibility patterns, compare temporal trends with those of previous studies, and assess empirical antimicrobial therapy. Methods: Retrospective review study of children bacteremia in hemato-oncologic diseases was conducted at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from January 2013 to July 2023. Results: Overall, 98 episodes of bacteremia were observed in 74 patients. Among pathogens isolated, 57.1% (n=56) were Gram-positive bacteria, 38.8% (n=38) were Gram-negative bacteria, and 4.1% (n=4) were Candida spp. The most common Gram-positive bacteria were coagulase-negative staphylococci (n=21, 21.4%) and Staphylococcus aureus, (n=14, 14.3%) whereas the most common Gram-negative bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=16, 16.3%) and Escherichia coli (n=10, 10.2%). The susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria to penicillin, oxacillin, and vancomycin was 11.5%, 32.7%, and 94.2%, respectively and the susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, gentamicin, and amikacin was 68.6%, 80%, 97.1%, 82.9%, and 91.4%, respectively. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was detected in 1 strain and among Gram-negative strains, extended spectrum β-lactamase accounted for 28.9% (12/38). When analyzing the antibiotic susceptibility and empirical antibiotics, the mismatch rate was 25.5% (n=25). The mortality rate of children within 30 days of bacteremia was 7.1% (n=7). Conclusions Empirical antibiotic therapy for bacteremia in children with hemato-oncologic diseases should be based on the local antibiogram in each institution and continuous monitoring is necessary.

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to the change in the epidemiology of many infectious diseases. This study aimed to establish the pre-pandemic epidemiology of pediatric invasive bacterial infection (IBI). Methods: A retrospective multicenter-based surveillance for pediatric IBIs has been maintained from 1996 to 2020 in Korea. IBIs caused by eight bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella species) in immunocompetent children > 3 months of age were collected at 29 centers. The annual trend in the proportion of IBIs by each pathogen was analyzed. Results: A total of 2,195 episodes were identified during the 25-year period between 1996 and 2020. S. pneumoniae (42.4%), S. aureus (22.1%), and Salmonella species (21.0%) were common in children 3 to 59 months of age. In children ≥ 5 years of age, S. aureus (58.1%), followed by Salmonella species (14.8%) and S. pneumoniae (12.2%) were common. Excluding the year 2020, there was a trend toward a decrease in the relative proportions of S. pneumoniae (rs = −0.430, P = 0.036), H. influenzae (rs = −0.922, P < 0.001), while trend toward an increase in the relative proportion of S. aureus (rs = 0.850, P < 0.001), S. agalactiae (rs = 0.615, P = 0.001), and S. pyogenes (rs = 0.554, P = 0.005). Conclusion In the proportion of IBIs over a 24-year period between 1996 and 2019, we observed a decreasing trend for S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae and an increasing trend for S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and S. pyogenes in children > 3 months of age. These findings can be used as the baseline data to navigate the trend in the epidemiology of pediatric IBI in the post COVID-19 era.

As of September 3, 2022, 5,388,338 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 46 deaths (3 in 2021 and 43 in 2022) were reported in children ≤ 18 years in Korea. Cumulative confirmed cases accounted for 67.3% of the population aged ≤ 18 years and case fatality rate was 0.85/100,000. Among 46 fatal cases, 58.7% were male and median age was 7 years.Underlying diseases were present in 47.8%; neurologic diseases (63.6%) and malignancy (13.6%) most common. Only four had history of COVID-19 immunization. COVID-19 associated deaths occurred at median 2 days from diagnosis (range: −1 to 21). Among COVID-19 deaths, 41.3% occurred before admission; 2 before hospital arrival and 17 in the emergency department. Among children whose cause was documented, myocarditis, respiratory and multiorgan failure were most common. COVID-19 associated death was seen early after diagnosis in children and public health policies to provide access to medical care for children with COVID-19 are essential during the pandemic.