The Association of Alcohol Problems with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Psychological Hardiness and the Ways of Coping in Firefighters / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between alcohol problems and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, psychological hardiness, and coping mechanisms in firefighters. METHODS: We conducted an e-mail survey of 131 firefighters who were working at the two fire department stations in Gyeonggido, receiving replies from 96. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Hardiness Scale, and The Ways of Coping Checklist were used to collect the data. We divided the subjects into three drinking groups per their AUDIT scores : social, problem, and abuse drinking groups and compared PTSD symptoms, psychological hardiness, and coping strategies among the groups. RESULTS: Of the 96 firefighters, 73 (76.1%), 11 (11.4%), and 12 (11.4%) belonged to the social, problem, and abuse drinking groups, respectively. Control, one component of psychological hardiness, was significantly lower in the abuse drinking group. However, IES-R scores and four subscales of the Ways of Coping Checklist did not vary significantly among the groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest an approach focused on psychological hardiness should show a preventive effect with regard to firefighters' alcohol problems.

Relations between Demographic, Clinical, Psychopathological Characteristics and the Ways of Coping for Psychosocial Adjustment in Epileptic Patients / 대한간질학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand the relations of demographic and clinical characteristics, psychopathology and ways of coping with psychosocial adjustment of epileptic patients. METHODS: The participants were 200 epileptic outpatients. They completed Korean version of Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (K-WPSI), Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and The Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC). RESULTS: The results showed that frequency of seizure, education level, socioeconomic level, occupation, all of subscales in SCL-90-R and passive coping styles were significantly related to overall psychosocial functioning of epileptic patients. The global severity index score that indicated present psychopathology of SCL-90-R best explained overall psychosocial functioning. And the frequency of seizure, education level, socioeconomic level, occupation, and somatization were also significant factors. The global severity index score was explained by emotional focused coping, socioeconomic level, frequency of seizure, and problem focused coping. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that psychosocial adjustment of epileptic patients showed a significant relations with psychopathology, clinical and socioeconomic factors and the ways of coping.

Effect of the Genotypes of ALDH II and the Ways of Coping with Stress on the Alcohol Use in Freshmen of a University / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The authors investigated the genotypes of ALDH II and the ways of coping with stress affecting the alcohol use of university freshmen to see the differences associated with the alcohol use according to genotype. METHODS: Five hundred fifty one Chungbuk National University freshmen were investigated on the amount of alcohol consumption per episode, the frequency of alcohol use, and the ways of coping with stress by using a self-questionnaires. Their blood samples were also analysed for their ALDH II genotypes by PCR-RFLP method. The degree of alcohol use was calculated by integrating the amount and the frequency of alcohol use, was assessed according to ALDH II genotype, sex, the ways of coping with stress associated. Collected data was analysed by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis according to genotype and sex. RESULTS: There was a significant difference of the amount of alcohol use per episode according to ALDH II genotype. But there was no difference of the frequency of alcohol use according to ALDH II genotype. Subjects with ND and DD genotype showed significantly lower degree of alcohol use than NN genotype. Women showed significantly lower amount, frequency and degree of alcohol use than men. Active coping, emotional expression, religious seeking, and support seeking for problem solving were associated with the degree of alcohol use in the group with D allele. Religious coping and fatalism were associated with the degree of alcohol use in women. CONCLUSION: There are significant differences of the degree of alcohol use and the ways of coping to stress according to sex and ALDH II genotype.