The prevalence and correlates of depression in Korean adults with rheumatoid arthritis: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of depression in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We analyzed the data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The sociodemographic, clinical, and psychiatric variables were compared between the RA group (n = 277) and the gender- and age-matched non-RA group (n = 1068). Participants in the RA group who had a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score of 10 or more were sub-categorized as the depression group (n = 52), and the prevalence of depression with RA was determined. Complex samples logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify the associated factors for depression in patients with RA. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression in patients with RA was 17.4%. The RA group experienced more pain, restrictions on usual activities, and stress in their daily lives. RA patients with 3 or more comorbid diseases, extreme pain, problems in usual activities, and moderate to severe perceived stress were more likely to develop depression. Female gender and low income were also associated factors to consider. CONCLUSION: Depression is significantly prevalent in Korean RA patients. Along with managing pain and daily life functions, interventions to reduce perceived stress are needed for comprehensive RA management.

Problematic internet use in children according to maternal depression trajectories: A population-based cohort study with 9-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between maternal depression trajectories from pregnancy until 2 years postpartum, and problematic internet use in children at nine years of age. METHODS: A total of 1132 mother-child pairs from the Panel Korea Study for Children were used. Maternal depression was assessed repeatedly using the Kessler scale (K-scale) (during pregnancy, and at 6, 12, and 24 months of age). Problematic internet use was assessed in children 9 years old using the K-scale. The children's behavioral problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist at nine years old. Latent profile analysis was used to identify the group trajectories of maternal depression. We compared the severity of problematic internet use of the children according to the maternal depression trajectories. We also identified behavioral problems in children with problematic internet use in each maternal depression trajectory. RESULTS: Trajectory analysis identified three group trajectories of maternal depression: no symptoms (n = 478), mild symptoms (n = 534), and moderate symptoms (n = 120). The mild and moderate maternal depression trajectory groups were more associated with high-risk internet use in 9-year-old children compared to the non-depressed group. In children with high-risk internet use, more severe behavioral problems were reported when their mothers had depression. CONCLUSION: Maternal depression up to two years after childbirth affected problematic internet use in middle childhood.

The impact of maternal personality traits on behavioral problems in preschool-aged children: a population-based panel study in South Korea.

The impact of maternal personality traits on offspring behavioral problems has not been well established. In our study, the association between maternal personality traits and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children was investigated. A total of 192 preschoolers with their mothers, who were part of a population-based panel study in South Korea, were included in the present study. Maternal personality traits were assessed by the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) when the children were 1 year old. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 1.5-5 was used to identify behavioral problems in the children at 4 and 5 years of age. Maternal personality (borderline, somatization) positively correlated with behavioral problems (externalizing, internalizing, and dysregulation) in children. Maternal paranoid personality trait correlated with children's internalizing and dysregulation behavioral problems. Multiple linear regressions showed that maternal borderline trait significantly predicted children's externalizing (B = 0.302, P = 0.001), internalizing (B = 0.211, P = 0.020), and dysregulation problems (B = 0.327, P < 0.001). Similarly, maternal somatization trait predicted children's internalizing problems (B = 0.291, P < 0.001). Maternal borderline and somatization traits showed association with children's behavioral problems. Psychological intervention and support for mothers with these personality traits may be helpful in raising children with behavioral problems.

Hashimoto's Encephalopathy with Unusual MRI Findings Mimicking Meningoencephalitis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by a high serum concentration of antithyroid antibodies without evidence of cerebral disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in HE patients are nonspecific, although diffuse or focal white matter changes have been reported in several cases. We present a rare case involving a 79-year-old woman with elevated antithyroid antibody levels and abnormal imaging findings similar to meningoencephalitis. Serial MRI initially showed multiple T2 hyperintense lesions with diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement that disappeared after steroid therapy.