Comparing Ruminative and Distracting Responses and Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Early Community Adolescents With and Without Self-Harm

Objectives@#This study aimed to compare the demographic characteristics, responses to negative emotions, and difficulties in emotion regulation between self-harming adolescents and control individuals aged 12–14 years from the community. @*Methods@#Data were collected from adolescents in Chungcheong Province, South Korea, between September 2021 and November 2022.Demographic characteristics and responses to the Depressed Mood Questionnaire and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16) were compared between the self-harm and control groups. @*Results@#The self-harm group exhibited a higher prevalence of child abuse (odds ratio [OR]=4.787, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.591– 14.409, p=0.005) and school bullying victimization (OR=4.495, 95% CI=2.353–8.588, p<0.001) than those in the control group. The selfharm group displayed higher levels of rumination (t=7.88, p<0.001) and reduced distraction responses (reverse score t=2.25, p=0.025) than those of the control group. Additionally, the self-harm group scored higher on all subscales and the total DERS-16 score (t=7.61, p<0.001). @*Conclusion@#Interventions for self-harming adolescents should address child abuse and bullying victimization. Prevention programs for self-harming adolescents should focus on reducing rumination responses, increasing distractive responses, and addressing difficulties in emotion regulation using dialectical behavior therapy-skill training.

A Comparative Study on the Mental Health of Adolescents Residing in Child Care Institutions (Orphanages) and Youth Shelters / 정신신체의학

objectives@#：This study aims to compare the mental health of adolescents living in child care institutions (orphanages) and youth shelters, to provide basic data for appropriate psychiatric interventions for each facilities. @*Methods@#：The sample consisted of 157 adolescents in child care institutions and 31 adolescents in Youth Shelters who completed the Korean version of the Youth Self Report (K-YSR). We compared the K-YSR scores between the two groups and also examined factors related to suicidality. @*Results@#：Adolescents in youth shelters were older and had higher rates of drinking (p<0.001), smoking (p<0.001), and “abnormal sleep” (p=0.007) than adolescents in child care institutions. They also showed higher ‘suicidality’ (p=0.004) and K-YSR scores. On the other hand, adolescents in child care institutions have lower ‘suicidality’, but they have higher ‘suicidality’ when they have ‘abnormal sleep’ (OR 4.194; p=0.006),abnormal diet’ (OR 2.503; p=0.010), and ‘concerns about weight gain’ (OR 2.503; p=0.010). Additionally, 17.6% of participants in the study showed ‘suicidality’. The ‘suicidality’ group had a higher overall K-YSR score than the non-suicidal group, and had higher ‘abnormal sleep’ (OR 3.766; p=0.014) and ‘concern about weight gain’ (OR 2.864; p=0.032). @*Conclusions@#：Adolescents in youth shelters appear to have more serious clinical difficulties than adolescents in child care institutions, so prompt psychiatric intervention is needed. Additionally, it is necessary to consider mental health assessments including suicidality when adolescents in child care institutions complain of sleep, eating, or weight gain problems.

Effect of Stress Level and Stress Vulnerability of Workers on Heart Rate Variability / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#: The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of office workers' stress level and stress vulnerability on heart rate variability (HRV), confirm the significance of objective stress indicators obtained through subjective stress and heart rate variability devices, and examine their effectiveness as an integrated stress measurement tool in community mental health projects. @*Methods@#: From June to July in 2020, 929 workers participated in the stress management and mental health promotion project carried out by K hospital, and their recorded database was used for study analysis with their agreements. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to find out the effects of general stress level, and stress vulnerability on heart rate variability. @*Results@#: All general characteristics were found to have a significant effect on SDNN (ln), RMSSD (ln), LF (ln), and HF (ln), but work experience did not significantly affect RMSSD (ln). Stress level and stress vulnerability did not significantly affect heart rate variability, but stress perception, a sub-factor of stress level, was found to have a significant effect on RMSSD (ln) (β=0.118, p=0.023). @*Conclusions@#: In this study, stress perception, a sub-factor of stress level, was found to be a factor affecting RMSSD (ln). This indicates an association with the activity of parasympathetic nerves in stressful situations, and more follow-up studies are needed to use it as a direct indicator of chronic stress and integrated stress in the community mental health field.