Psychological Vulnerability of Residents of Communities Affected by the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill.

OBJECTIVE: Psychological health is an important issue after disasters. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychological symptoms among 993 residents of Taean District in South Korea after the Hebei Spirit oil spill and to examine determinants of vulnerability in residents' psychological symptoms. METHODS: Symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS), depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety were assessed by questionnaires, and the responses were analyzed by using the survey analysis considering the sampling frame. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, the symptom prevalences of PTS, depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety were 19.5%, 22.0%, 2.3%, and 4.2%, respectively, and symptoms were higher in people who were female, were older, were less educated, and had lower family income. People with fishery or related occupations compared to those with unrelated livelihoods and people residing in the vicinity of the oil band in the contaminated coastline showed additively increased symptom risks of PTS. Risk of suicidal ideation was predominantly increased in people with fishery or related occupations compared with those with unrelated livelihoods. CONCLUSIONS: Social supports, including compensation for income loss and community mental health programs, and longer follow-up studies are needed for residents in the communities affected by the Hebei Spirit oil spill.

[Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy program on mental health problems in children dealing with trauma: focused on community district victimized by oil spill].

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy in a victimized community district and to determine if the program is an effective nursing intervention to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder symptom, depression and state anxiety. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group design was used for the study. The participants, 32 elementary school students, were selected from grades 4, 5, 6 and each student was assigned to either the experimental (16) or control (16) group. Cognitive behavioral therapy was used as the experimental treatment from April 9 to May 28, 2009. The experimental group received cognitive behavior therapy intervention 8 times. Data analysis was done using ANCOVA with SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: After the intervention, the experimental group showed significantly lower levels of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms than the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective nursing intervention to decrease the level of mental health problems of children in victimized district. Further research is required in order to identify the continuous effects of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Prediction of pain outcomes in Korean older adults: use of a structural equation model.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a structural equation model of pain adjustment outcomes (e.g., depression and fatigue) in Korean older adults based on the cognitive-behavioral model of chronic pain. METHODS: Nonexperimental research design. Data were collected by questionnaires from 271 Korean older adults. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS 10.1 for descriptive statistics and a PC-LISREL program for covariance structural analysis. RESULTS: In this study, based on the modifications, chi-square statistics were changed, the goodness-of-fit index was 0.97, the adjusted goodness-of-fit index was 0.93, the root mean square residual was 0.04, the normal fit index was 0.98, and the non-normed fit index was 0.98. Path coefficients and their statistical significance for the revised model were as follows: pain adjustment and pain beliefs were found to have a significant direct effect on pain coping. The variable directly related to pain beliefs was pain adjustment, and variables directly influencing fatigue were pain coping and pain beliefs. Lastly, pain adjustment, pain coping, and fatigue were found to have a significant direct effect on depression. Also, pain adjustment, pain coping, and pain beliefs were found to have a significant indirect effect on depression. In conclusion, pain adjustment, pain coping, pain beliefs, and fatigue all contributed to depression. Fifty-four percent of depression could be explained by these variables. CONCLUSIONS: This modified model is considered appropriate for explaining and predicting pain adjustment outcomes in Korean older adults. Also, the findings support the development of an intervention strategy to improve pain coping, negative pain beliefs, fatigue, and depression caused by poor pain adjustment.

[Prediction model on mental health status in middle-aged women of an urban area].

PURPOSE: This study was designed to construct a structural model for explaining mental health status in middle-aged women. METHODS: The data was collected by self-reported questionnaires from 206 middle-aged women in Seoul. Data analysis was done with the SAS pc program for descriptive statistics and a PC-LISREL Program for finding the best fit model which assumes causal relationships among variables. RESULTS: The overall fit of the hypothetical model to the data was good, but paths and variables of the model were modified by considering theoretical implications and statistical significances of parameter estimates. Thus it was modified by excluding 3 paths. The modified model showed was good fit to the data(chi(2)=177.55, p=.00), GFI=0.908, AGFI=0.860, RMR=0.013, NFI=0.972, NNFI=0.982). Perceived stress, anger expression method, and self-esteem were found to have direct effects on mental health status in middle-aged women. These predictive variables of mental health status explained 66.6% of the model. CONCLUSION: Programs to enhance mental health status in middle-aged women should include stress management skill, anger expression skill, and self-esteem enhancement skills to be effective.

[A correlational study among perceived stress, anger expression, and depression in cancer patients].

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship between perceived stress, anger expression, and level of depression in cancer patients. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Data was collected by questionnaires from 185 in- and out-patients who were diagnosed with cancer at 3 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center using Spielberger et al.'s Anger Expression Scale, Cohen, Kamarch & Mermelstein's Perceived Stress, and Derogatise's SCL-90. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression with SAS/PC. RESULT: The perceived stress in cancer patients indicated a significant positive correlation to anger-in(r=.288, p=.000), anger-out(r=.232, p=.001), and depression(r=.68, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. The anger-in of cancer patients showed a significant positive relationship to anger-out(r=.53, p=.000), and depression(r=.383, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. Anger-out showed a significantly negative correlation to anger-control(r=-.248, p=.001) and a positive correlation to depression(r=.240, p=.001). The most significant predictor which influenced depression in cancer patients was perceived stress, followed by anger-in and hobby, and these factors explained their depression with a variance of 54%. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that cancer patients with a high degree of perceived stress are likely to be high in anger-out and anger-in. Perceived stress and anger-in are major factors which affect depression in cancer patients.

[A meta-analysis of the effects of a self-efficacy promoting program].

PURPOSE: This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of a self-efficacy promoting program and analyze its components. METHOD: The material used for this study were 18 self-efficacy promoting program studies carried out from Jan. 1980 to Oct. 2003. The studies were analyzed in different categories: 1) types of dependent variables 2) sample characteristics 3) types of experimental treatment conditions 4) types of self-efficacy source and 5) total amount of time RESULT: 1) The weighted mean of a self-efficacy promoting program ranged from 1.383 to 0.015 2) for the experimental treatment condition, exercise had a much larger effect in increasing general self-efficacy and self-care than education 3) the studies using 3 sources had a much larger effect in increasing self-care than the studies using 4 sources 4) a time period longer than 900 minutes had a much larger effect in increasing specific self-efficacy, general self-efficacy and self-care than in a time period shorter than 900 minutes. 5) effect size of specific self-efficacy was significantly higher than general self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: These results can be used to guide the development of a self-efficacy promoting program for nursing practice.

[Risk factors for sexual behaviors in girl's high school students].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine risk factors for sexual behaviors in Korean female high school students. METHOD: Data was collected by a written questionnaire from June 22 to July 18, 2002 from 522 girls, who were stratified samples from a target population of 63,375 11th grade students from 200 regular high schools and 70 vocational high schools in Seoul, Korea. We conducted multiple regression analysis using the SAS pc+ program. RESULT: Risk factors for intimate behaviors were association with boy friends, differential association, family attachment, and family abuse experience. These variables cause 68% of intimate behaviors. Risk factors for sexual experiences were differential association, association with boy friend, and family attachment. These variables cause 14% of sexual experiences. CONCLUSION: Efforts to reduce sexual behaviors in girls should include the possible role of peers and develop peer leader programs.