Factors Associated with Suicidal Ideation in Korean Elderly Living Alone ; Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between suicidal ideation and the associated with sociodemographic and clinical factors in community dwelling, elderly living alone in Korea. METHODS: A total of the 329 community-dwelling elderly aged 65 years or older who lived alone were recruited and they underwent the questionnaire including their sociodemographic data, Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (ADL/IADL) and the Korean version of the Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K). Suicidal ideation was evaluated by using the "suicidal thought" item of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: According to the result of our sample of elderly living alone, 22.8% of the subjects reported their suicidal ideation. ADL/IADL score (p<0.01), subjective economic status (p<0.05), and subjective health status (p<0.05) had a negative correlation with suicidal ideation. SGDS-K score (p<0.05) had positive correlations with suicidal ideation. Multiple regression analysis revealed that suicidal ideation correlates to ADL/IADL score (p=0.025). CONCLUSION: This study exhibit that ADL/IADL is significantly associated with suicidal ideation.

Depression and Socio-Demographic Characteristics Associated with Quality of Life in the Community-Dwelling Elderly Living Alone

OBJECTIVE: This study is to suggest the plans for improving the quality of lives of the solitary old people by evaluating the effects of depression, social supports, and activity of daily living to the quality of life. METHODS: The subjects of this research were 329 elderly people who lived alone in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Korea. They were recruited and underwent the questionnaire including their sociodemographic data, Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (ADL/IADL) and the Korean version of the Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K). Statistical analyses including Pearson's correlation test, multiple regression were performed in this study. RESULTS: They were composed of 83.6% females and 16.4% males and almost age was between 70 and 84 years old. House welfare availability (p<0.05), subjective economic status (p<0.05), and SGDS-K score (p<0.01) had a negative correlation with Quality of life. Multiple regression analysis revealed that Quality of life correlates to SGDS-K score (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The quality of life of elderly living alone was related with depression. Early detection and management for depression may need to be considered for quality of life of community dwelling elderly living alone.

Change of Psychological Characteristics after Joining the Army According to Internet Addiction Tendency in Young Male Army Recruits

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to find out the psychological changes associated with internet addiction between before and after the military drill among the young male army recruits. METHODS: All 1091 participants were army recruits aged from 19 to 22 years who participated in the 5-week military drill. They were assessed with some self-reported questionnaires [Sociodemographic questionnaires, Young's Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Rated Scale (ASRS)]. They were divided into two groups, One is the internet addiction tendency group and the other is non-addiction group according to the IAS score. And the severity of the internet addiction tendency, depression, anxiety and impulsiveness were evaluated by the IAS, the STAI, the BDI, the BIS, the ASRS before and after military drill. RESULTS: The result of the paired t-test shows that the IAS, the STAI, the BDI, the BIS, the ASRS scores decreased after military drill in both non-addiction group and internet addiction tendency group. The result of the repeated measures ANOVA shows that there is an interaction effect between the changes of ASRS-hyperactivity (F = 23.437, p < 0.001), ASRS-impulsiveness (F = 4.896, p = 0.027), BIS-total (F = 4.057, p = 0.044), BIS-motor impulsiveness (F = 13.609, p < 0.001) scores and groups. The result of the generalized estimating equation shows that internet addiction tendency is associated with ASRS-inattention (beta = 0.075, p < 0.001), ASRS-hyperactivity (beta = 0.092, p = 0.002), STAI-trait anxiety (beta = 0.046, p < 0.001), BIS-motor impulsiveness (beta = 0.119, p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that psychopathologies such as internet addiction tendency, depression, anxiety, impulsiveness may improve after military drill regardless of the groups. Internet addiction tendency may be related to the ASRS-inattention, ASRS-hyperactivity, STAI-trait anxiety, motor-impulsiveness. So these findings may be considered in the treatment of internet addiction in terms of the impulsiveness control.

An Open-Label Study of OROS-Methylphenidate for Neuropsychological Changes in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies reported that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) resulted from a deficit of selective attention and sustained attention. In this study, we assessed the result of methylphenidate-induced changes of the cerebral frontal executive functions in patients with ADHD. METHODS: The subjects in this study consisted of 16 ADHD patients whose age ranged from 7 to 12. We used ADHD Diagnostic System (ADS) for the attention improvement, and the Stroop Test for the executive function response to pharmacotherapy with MPH. RESULTS: After pharmacotherapy with methylphenidate for 12 weeks, the study group showed improvement in the clinical aspects through Clinical Global Impression-Severity, ADHD-rating scale and Inattention/Overactivity With Aggression Conner's Parents Rating Scale. In the ADS test, only in auditory task there was a decrease of both the response time and the standard deviation of the response time significantly. In the Stroop Test, there was a decrease in the word task, color task and color-word task significantly. CONCLUSION: Our results show that psychostimulant medication improves neuropsychological function, including the cerebral frontal executive function. This study implies that we have to consider the improvement of executive function, as well as attention when evaluating the efficacy of treatment.

Psychotic Features as the First Manifestation of 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

The 22q11.2 deletion is a genetic disorder which is characterized by abnormalities in cardiac functioning, facial structure, neurobehavioral development, T cell functioning, and velopharyngeal insufficiencies. In the presented case study, 22q11.2 deletion was found in a patient who has psychotic symptoms only. A 25-year-old woman with a history of hypoparathyroidism and hypothyroidism presented with auditory hallucinations and persecutory delusions. After three months of treatment with antipsychotic medications, the patient was readmitted with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The following week, the patient went into sepsis. A fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed the presence of a 22q11.2 microdeletion. This case study suggests that psychotic symptoms can develop prior to the typical symptoms of a 22q11.2 deletion. As such, psychiatrists should test for genetic abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia when these patients present with seizures and immunodeficiencies.