Psychiatric Problems in the Student Victims of School Violence and Their Parents

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to investigate the influences of school violence on the mental health of student victims and their parents. METHODS: A total of 56 (aged 7-18) student victims and their parents were selected to participate in a survey. The students had experienced school violence from June 2012 to October 2013. They completed a set of self-report questionnaires, including socio-demographic characteristics, family relationship, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Beck Depression Inventory, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, and Parental Bonding Instrument to evaluate psychiatric complications and to understand the emotional bonding between them. RESULTS: The student's level of impact of event was significantly related to the parent's level of impact of event (p<.001). The student's high CDI score showed positive correlation with high level of impact of event (p<.001). In addition, higher level of the student's perceived emotional support and understandability of family showed association with lower level of impact of event (p<.01, p<.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the psychiatric sequelae of school violence is seriously affected by family support and parent's level of impact of event. Therefore, more active intervention is needed for both students and their parents.

(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Inhibits the Pacemaker Activity of Interstitial Cells of Cajal of Mouse Small Intestine

The effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on pacemaker activities of cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) from murine small intestine were investigated using whole-cell patch-clamp technique at 30degrees C and Ca2+ image analysis. ICC generated spontaneous pacemaker currents at a holding potential of -70 mV. The treatment of ICC with EGCG resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the frequency and amplitude of pacemaker currents. SQ-22536, an adenylate cyclase inhibitor, and ODQ, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, did not inhibit the effects of EGCG. EGCG-induced effects on pacemaker currents were not inhibited by glibenclamide, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker and TEA, a Ca2+-activated K+ channel blocker. Also, we found that EGCG inhibited the spontaneous [Ca2+]i oscillations in cultured ICC. In conclusion, EGCG inhibited the pacemaker activity of ICC and reduced [Ca2+]i oscillations by cAMP-, cGMP-, ATP-sensitive K+channel-independent manner.