Comparative study of goal contents and goal characteristics between medical and business students / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: Medical and business are one of the most popular majors among students, and both fields require intensive training to reach certain level of expertise. During the development of professionalism, goal can become a crucial role in psychological impetus. The purpose of this study is to compare goal contents, goal characteristics, and effect of goal characteristics on student's major satisfaction between medical and business. METHODS: A total of 193 undergraduate students (97 medical students, 96 business students) answered survey questions including goal contents, goal characteristics (goal autonomy, goal attainability, social value of goal) and satisfaction on their majors. Qualitative analysis of goal contents and quantitative analysis of goal characteristics, and their effects on student major satisfaction were performed. RESULTS: Goal content analysis showed percentage of social concern goal was higher in medical students (25.8%) than business students (6.3%), whereas percentage of wealth goal was higher business students (24.0%) than medical students (3.1%). Among goal characteristics, goal attainability and social value of goal were higher in medical students than business students. In both groups, social value of goal was significantly predict major satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Goal contents and goal characteristics are different between medical and business students. Curriculum and educational interventions that concerning students' goal and developing programs to enhance students' social value of goal is necessary.

Alcohol Dependence, Mortality, and Chronic Health Conditions in a Rural Population in Korea

To determine the effects of excessive drinking and alcohol dependency on mortality and chronic health problems in a rural community in South Korea, this study represents a nested case-control study. In 1998, we conducted the Alcohol Dependence Survey (ADS), a population survey of a village in Korea. To measure the effects of alcohol on chronic health conditions and mortality over time, in 2004, we identified 290 adults from the ADS sample (N=1,058) for follow-up. Of those selected, 145 were adults who had alcohol problems, either alcohol dependence as assessed in the ADS by the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (N=59), or excessive drinking without dependency (N=86). Further 145 nondrinkers were identified, matching those with alcohol problems in age and sex. We revisited the village in 2004 and completed personal interviews with them. In multivariate logistic regressions, the rates of mortality and morbidity of chronic health conditions were three times greater for alcohol dependents compared with the rate for nondrinkers. Importantly, however, excessive drinking without dependency was not associated with the rates of either mortality or morbidity. Future investigations would benefit by attending more specifically to measures for alcohol dependence as well as measures for alcohol consumption.

A Prospective Study on Changes in Health Status Following Flood Disaster

OBJECTIVE: We examined changes in general health status, the prevalence of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and the existence of pre-trauma contributing factors in an agricultural population following a massive flood. METHODS: Eighty-three of 160 residents of Garisan-ni, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, were assessed using the Korean version of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36-K) between April and June 2006, just prior to a massive flood. Among those initially assessed, 58 residents were available for follow-up 18 months after the flood. Participants completed the SF-36-K, Beck Depression Index (BDI), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-PTSD, and the Korean version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to detect depression and PTSD. Trauma experiences were also assessed. Factors related to changes in health status were then analyzed. RESULTS: SF-36-K total scale scores decreased significantly, suggesting a significant reduction in health-related quality of life. The largest reductions were noted in physical and social functioning. Fifty-three percent of the subjects were at least mildly depressed, and 17% had severe depression. In addition, 22% had PTSD on both the IES-R and MMPI-PTSD. Factors that contributed to the deterioration of health status following the flood were the number of disaster events and existence of depression (as assessed by the BDI). CONCLUSION: The flood was found to lead to deterioration of health status and to provoke depression and PTSD among the agricultural population in the mountainous region. We suggest that the number of disaster event experiences and existence of depression contriuted to changes in health status after the flood.

The Effect of Alcohol in the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: It has been well known that alcohol can modulate several ligand-gated ion channel and voltage-gated ion channels. But the roles of alcohol in the autonomic neurons still remain unclear. In this study, thus we characterized the neuronal acetylcholine receptor (nnAChRs) and investigated the modulation of nnAChRs by ethanol (EtOH). METHODS: We used whole-cells which were acutely dissociated male rat major pelvic ganglion (MPG) neurons, and used gramicidin perforated patch clamp techniques. RESULTS: MPG neurons can be classified on the basis of the response of the soma membrane to depolarizing current pulses ; either tonic or phasic neurons. Sympathetic neurons expressing T-type Ca(2+) channels showed tonic firing pattern, while parasympathetic neurons lacking T-type Ca(2+) channels phasic firing to depolarizing current pulses. When hyperpolarizing currents were injected, sympathetic neurons produced post-anodal rebound spikes, while parasympathetic neurons were silent. Under current clamp mode, Acetylcholine (ACh) evoked significant membrane depolarization and produced subsequently marked membrane hyperporization. Under whole-cell mode, application of ACh-induced inward currents held at holding potentials below 0 mV and reversal potential was close to 0 mV, an equilibrium potential of nonselective cation channel. The ACh-activated current was blocked by methyllycaconitine (MLA ; 10 micrometer), hexamethonium (100 micrometer) and alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx ; 100 nM), nAChRs antagonists. EtOH (40 mM) potentiated ACh-induced depolarization and hyperpolarization. EtOH also increased both alpha-BuTx-sensitive and -insensitive ACh-activated currents. Futhermore, EtOH potentiated 5-HT-activated current but had a little effect on GABA-activated current. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that EtOH modulates nnAChRs and 5-HT receptors in MPG neurons.

A Validation Study of the Korean -Version of the Montgomery- Asberg Depression Rating Scale / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) has been reported as a valid tool for the assessment of depression because it is based on the core symptoms of depression. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability, validity and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the MADRS (K-MADRS). METHODS: One hundred seven patients, including in-patients and out-patients, diagnosed as major depressive disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria were enrolled in this study. They were assessed with K-MADRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) to examine cross-validation. Statistical analysis was done using calculation of Cronbach's alpha, Spearman Correlation Coefficient and Principal Components Analysis. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of K-MADRS was 0.79. And the correlations of each item with total score were statistically significant (r=0.47-0.75, p<0.001). The inter-rater reliabilities of total score (r=0.89, p<0.001) and individual score (r=0.74-0.95, p=0.001) were high. The factor analysis revealed two factors. However, the first one accounted for 39% of variance, while the second one only for 11.1%. The total score of K-MADRS showed a significant correlation with those of HDRS, BDI and CGI (r=0.82, 0.47, 0.74, respectively, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The K-MADRS showed good reliability and validity for the assessment of severity of depressive symptoms. And it demonstrated similar psychometric properties to previous studies. The K-MADRS is an useful instrument for assessing depressive symptoms in Korea.

Characteristics of Attention in Children with Post-Injury Attention-Deficit Disorder and Developmental Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Children with post-injury attention deficit disorder (ADD) exhibit deficiencies in academic functioning, social skills, and self-control, that are comparable to developmental attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The similarities and differences of the two conditions have to be studied because some children with traumatic brain injury have shown premorbid ADD and seem to be less responsive to psychostimulants. METHODS: Characteristics of cognition and attention of post-injury ADD (n=12) and developmental ADHD (n=12) boys were investigated by administering KEDI-WISC and Visual and Auditory TOVA. RESULTS: No differences in KEDI-WISC subtests were found between two diagnostic groups. Post-injury ADD boys show lower commission error (lower impulsivity) in visual and auditory TOVA, and lower variability of reaction time (higher information-processing consistency) in auditory TOVA than developmental ADHD boys (p<0.05, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Post-injury ADD and developmental ADHD are different in their attention components suggestively, which warrants further study for differential diagnosis and proper treatment.

Propranolol use in a psychiatric in-patients unit(I) / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.

The use of seclusion room in a milieu therapeutic psychiatric ward / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.