Effect of School-Based Social Skills Training Program on Peer Relationships: Preliminary Study

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a school-based social skills training program on peer relationships in children and adolescents and to assess the plan for effective school-based mental health services. METHODS: The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Promotion Team of Bugok National Hospital conducted 7-sessioned school-based social skills training for elementary and middle school students (n=90). Changes in peer relationships were evaluated before and after application of the program using a name generator question. RESULTS: The social skills training program increased peer relations, indicating significant changes in social network indices. CONCLUSION: The social skills training program positively influenced peer relationships. The school-based social skills training program can be expected to have positive effects on school-based mental health services. Future investigation is needed to validate the long term effects of this program.

Effects of School-Based Social Skills Training Program on Alexithymic Tendency: Preliminary Study

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study are to evaluate the effect of a school-based social skills training program on the emotional regulation of children and adolescents and to assess the plan for effective school-based mental health services. METHODS: The Child and Adolescent Mental health promotion team of Bugok National Hospital conducted school-based social skills training (N=90, 7 sessions) for elementary and middle school students. Evaluations were conducted before and after the application of the program using a prosocial behavior questionnaire, a cohesiveness questionnaire, the Korean version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, a self-esteem scale, and the Novaco anger scale, in order to identify any changes. RESULTS: The social skills training program increased the prosocial behavior and cohesiveness of the children and adolescents and decreased their alexithymic tendency and degree of anger, but did not significantly change their self-esteem. CONCLUSION: The social skills training program positively influences the emotional and behavioral levels of children and adolescents. The emotional regulation program based on a social skills training program is expected to have positive results in school-based mental health services. Future investigations are needed to validate the long term effects of this program.

A Case of Psychosis Following Delayed Encephalopathy of Transdermal Fentanyl Intoxication / 대한정신약물학회지

Fentanyl is a potent, synthetic opioid analgesic with a rapid onset and short duration of action. Recently, there have been many case reports that overuse or misuse of fentanyl patch resulted in fatal intoxication. Delayed hypoxic leukoencephalopathy typically manifests 2 to 40 days after apparent recovery from hypoxic event, and patients suffer from cognitive impairment, upper motor neuron signs, gait disturbance, or psychosis. We report first case of delayed encephalopathy with psychotic symptoms after overuse of fentanyl patch. Patient was found to have respiratory failure and mental change due to transdermal fentanyl overdose. She made a complete recovery in 2 weeks. After 4 weeks of the event, she readmitted with declining mental status. At 30 weeks after overdose, she complained of auditory and visual hallucination and showed paranoid delusion and odd behavior. Since admission into psychiatric unit, her psychotic symptoms have improved with antipsychotics. In conclusion, fentanyl patch should be used in order to prevent psychotic symptoms as well as medical complications.

The Korean Version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale: Psychometric Properties and the Connection to Trauma among Korean Adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) is a screening measure for dissociative experience in adolescents. The present study aimed to investigate the reliability, validity and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale. METHODS: The Korean version of the A-DES was administered to a normative group of 371 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years and a traumatized group of 33 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with known trauma. RESULTS: The internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's alpha=0.91) and the test-retest correlation of the A-DES was high (r=0.99). Correlation between the A-DES and other measures of dissociation was moderate (r=0.48). There were no significant age differences in mean total A-DES scores for the normative sample, or for boys or girls separately. Nor were there any significant gender differences for any age group. The mean total score of the A-DES was significantly higher in the traumatized group than in the normative group. There was a statistically significant difference between adolescents with self-reported trauma and those without a trauma history in the normative group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the Korean version of the A-DES is a reliable measure with excellent internal consistency and good stability over a 4-week test-retest interval with single factor structure. It can be used to screen for dissociative symptoms in Korean adolescents between the ages 12 and 18.