The role of endogenous opioids in mindfulness and sham mindfulness-meditation for the direct alleviation of evoked chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial.

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is the most prevalent chronic pain condition. There are no treatments that haven been found to directly assuage evoked cLBP. To this extent, mindfulness-meditation is a promising pain therapy. Yet, it is unclear if meditation can be utilized to directly attenuate evoked chronic pain through endogenous opioids. A double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial with a drug crossover design examined if mindfulness-meditation, as compared to sham mindfulness-meditation, attenuated straight leg-raise test evoked chronic pain during intravenous (0.15 mg/kg bolus + 0.15 mg/kg/hour maintenance) naloxone (opioid antagonist) and placebo-saline infusion. Fifty-nine individuals with cLBP (mean age = 46 years; 30 females) completed all study procedures. After the pre-intervention pain testing session, patients were randomized to a four-session (20-min/session) mindfulness (n = 30) or sham mindfulness-meditation (n = 29) intervention. After the interventions, mindfulness and sham mindfulness-meditation were associated with significant reductions in back pain during saline and naloxone infusion when compared to rest (non-meditation) in response to the cLBP-evoking straight leg-raise test. These results indicate that meditation directly reduces evoked chronic pain through non-opioidergic processes. Importantly, after the interventions, the mindfulness group reported significantly lower straight leg-raise induced pain than the sham mindfulness-meditation group during rest (non-meditation) and meditation. Mindfulness and sham mindfulness-meditation training was also associated with significantly lower Brief Pain Inventory severity and interference scores. The pain-relieving effects of mindfulness meditation were more pronounced than a robust sham-mindfulness meditation intervention, suggesting that non-reactive appraisal processes may be uniquely associated with improvements in chronic low-back pain.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04034004.

A discrete choice experiment on oral and injection treatment preferences among moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients in Japan.

Long-term psoriasis (PsO) management remains challenging. With growing variation in treatment efficacy, cost, and modes of administration, patient preferences for different treatment characteristics are not well understood. A discrete choice experiment (DCE), informed by qualitative patient interviews, was conducted to assess patient preferences for different attributes of PsO treatments; 222 adult patients with moderate-to-severe PsO receiving systemic therapy participated in the DCE web survey. Better long-term efficacy and lower cost were preferred (preference weights p < 0.05). Long-term efficacy had the highest relative importance (RI) and mode of administration was as important as the outcome attributes (efficacy and safety). Patients also preferred oral to injectable administration. In subgroup analyses by disease severity, residence, psoriatic arthritis as a comorbidity, and gender, the trends for each subgroup were the same as the overall population although the extent of RI for administration mode varied. Mode of administration was more important for patients with moderate versus severe disease, or rural versus urban residence. This DCE utilized attributes related to both oral and injectable treatment as well as a broad study population of systemic treatment users. Preferences were further stratified by patient characteristics to explore trends in different subgroups. Understanding the RI of treatment attributes and the attribute trade-offs acceptable to patients helps inform moderate-to-severe PsO systemic treatments decisions.

Unemployment, Homelessness, and Other Societal Outcomes Among US Veterans With Schizophrenia Relapse: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate societal outcomes including unemployment and homelessness among US veterans with schizophrenia with a history of relapse.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data from January 1, 2013, to September 30, 2019. Veterans with ≥ 2 diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, and/or schizoaffective disorders (ICD-9-CM 295.xx, ICD-10-CM F20.x, F21, or F25.x) during the study period on different days were identified. The index date was the earliest observed diagnosis. Two cohorts were created and propensity score matched: (1) the relapse cohort of veterans with ≥ 1 prior relapse, defined as hospitalization or emergency department visit associated with a schizophrenia diagnosis during the 12-month preindex period, and (2) the nonrelapse cohort of veterans with no evidence of relapse during the preindex period. The frequencies of unemployment, divorce, homelessness, incarceration, and premature death were compared between matched cohorts using standardized mean difference (SMD ≥ 0.1 indicating imbalance).Results: Each cohort included 16,862 veterans (92.0% male, 57.0% White, median age of 58-59 years). In the relapse cohort, 67.4% and 42.0% of veterans had a history of substance use disorder and non-schizophrenia mental health disorder, respectively, compared to 43.5% and 23.8% in the matched nonrelapse cohort (both SMD > 0.1). The relapse cohort had a higher frequency of unemployment (75.4% vs 71.4%), divorce (35.6% vs 33.7%), homelessness (38.9% vs 23.7%), incarceration (0.6% vs 0.4%), and premature death (23.3% vs 16.9%) compared to the nonrelapse cohort (all SMD > 0.1).Conclusions: Schizophrenia relapse is associated with increased adverse societal outcomes in the VHA population.

Treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated with systemic therapy in Japan: A retrospective claims database study.

The real-world treatment landscape for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis receiving systemic therapies in Japan is not well understood. This study describes the demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and psoriasis-associated costs in these patients. This retrospective observational study used data from the Japan Medical Data Center database between January 2016 and December 2020. Eligible patients had a confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis, ≥1 claim for a systemic treatment of interest, medical history for ≥6 months, and follow-up data for ≥12 months. Systemic therapies comprised biologics (tumor necrosis factor and interleukin inhibitors) and oral treatments (a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, immunosuppressants, and vitamin A). Patient demographics and clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs were evaluated. The study identified 1770 patients satisfying all inclusion criteria. The mean age was 49.0 years, with 68% of patients aged 20-54 years. Overall, 90.6% and 9.4% of patients received oral medications and biologics as index treatment, respectively. Treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs were assessed for treatments received by ≥20 patients (n = 1730). During the 12-month follow-up period, 1102/1730 patients (63.7%) discontinued index treatment, of whom 9.9% switched to alternative systemic treatments. The persistence rate was ≥70% for most biologics and <50% for oral systemic treatments. All 1730 patients had ≥1 all-cause outpatient visit (2.0 visits per person per month) and hospitalization frequency was ≤0.01 per person per month. Persistent patients incurred inflation-adjusted costs of Japanese Yen (JPY) 88 667 per person per month. Treatment switching was associated with an increase in total cost: JPY 128 039 per person per month after switching versus JPY 117 504 before switching. This study of Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis demonstrated low persistence, high discontinuation, and low rates of treatment switching with systemic therapies. Switching was associated with increased total cost. These results indicate unmet needs for new treatments.

Unemployment, homelessness, and other societal outcomes in patients with schizophrenia: a real-world retrospective cohort study of the United States Veterans Health Administration database : Societal burden of schizophrenia among US veterans.

BACKGROUND: The burden associated with schizophrenia is substantial. Impacts on the individual, healthcare system, and society may be particularly striking within the veteran population due to the presence of physical and mental health comorbidities. Disease burden is also influenced by a complex interplay between social determinants of health and health disparities. The objective of the current study was to compare non-healthcare societal outcomes between veterans with and without schizophrenia in the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the VHA database (01/2013-09/2019; study period). Veterans with schizophrenia (≥2 diagnoses of ICD-9295.xx, ICD-10 F20.x, F21, and/or F25.x during the study period) were identified; the index date was the earliest observed schizophrenia diagnosis. Veterans with schizophrenia were propensity score-matched to those without schizophrenia using baseline characteristics. A 12-month baseline and variable follow-up period were applied. The frequency of unemployment, divorce, incarceration, premature death, and homelessness were compared between the matched cohorts using standardized mean difference (SMD). Risk of unemployment and homelessness were estimated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 102,207 veterans remained in each cohort after matching (91% male; 61% White [per AMA]; median age, 59 years). Among veterans with schizophrenia, 42% had a substance use disorder and 30% had mental health-related comorbidities, compared with 25 and 15%, respectively, of veterans without schizophrenia. Veterans with schizophrenia were more likely to experience unemployment (69% vs. 41%; SMD: 0.81), divorce (35% vs. 28%; SMD: 0.67), homelessness (28% vs. 7%; SMD: 0.57), incarceration (0.4% vs. 0.1%; SMD: 0.47), and premature death (14% vs. 12%; SMD < 0.1) than veterans without schizophrenia. After further adjustments, the risk of unemployment and of homelessness were 5.4 and 4.5 times higher among veterans with versus without schizophrenia. Other predictors of unemployment included Black [per AMA] race and history of substance use disorder; for homelessness, younger age (18-34 years) and history of mental health-related comorbidities were additional predictors. CONCLUSION: A greater likelihood of adverse societal outcomes was observed among veterans with versus without schizophrenia. Given their elevated risk for unemployment and homelessness, veterans with schizophrenia should be a focus of targeted, multifactorial interventions to reduce disease burden.

Characteristics of New Biologic Users Among the Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis Population-Retrospective Cohort Study Leveraging the Modernizing Medicine Data Services Database.

INTRODUCTION: Biologics have expanded the treatment options in the management of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The objective of this study was to describe patient characteristics and previous treatments in psoriasis patients newly treated with guselkumab, secukinumab, or ixekizumab. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients ≥ 18 years old with psoriasis in the USA who were newly treated with guselkumab, secukinumab, or ixekizumab between 1 July 2017 and 31 March 2019 in the Modernizing Medicine Data Services database (MMDS). Patients were indexed on their first prescription or injection record of guselkumab, secukinumab, or ixekizumab, and three mutually exclusive cohorts were created. Patients were required to have evidence of moderate-to-severe psoriasis, defined as Physician Global Assessment (PGA) score of 3 or 4, or body surface area (BSA) ≥ 10% on index date or within 12 months before index. Baseline characteristics, including treatment history, were reported for each cohort. RESULTS: The study population included 461 guselkumab, 619 secukinumab, and 375 ixekizumab patients. The median age across cohorts was 51-52 years. Median baseline BSA ranged from 15% to 20%; 16.1-29.3% of patients had a PGA of 4 and over half of patients were obese prior to index. Approximately 40% of patients had comorbid cardiovascular disease and 20.8-24.2% of patients had a psychiatric disorder. About half of patients in each cohort had prior biologic use, of which adalimumab was most common (28.2-34.9%) across the cohorts. CONCLUSION: This real-world study describes the characteristics of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis receiving biologic treatments.

Medical database analysis of japanese multiple myeloma patients with planned stem cell transplantation (MEDALIST) - a focus on healthcare resource utilization and cost.

This study explored the burden associated with stem cell mobilization, with or without cyclophosphamide (CPA), in patients who intended to receive autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for multiple myeloma (MM). A Japanese health care claims database (MDV) was used to analyze the health care resource utilization patterns and medical cost between 2013 and 2016 (pre-plerixafor launch). The patients were further categorized into groups who received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) alone or G-CSF + CPA group and analyzed in both mobilization and ASCT phases of treatment. Overall, there were more MM patients who were treated with G-CSF + CPA combination therapy than G-CSF alone. Length-of-stay was 1.6 times longer in the combination group during the mobilization phase. A reverse trend was observed during the ASCT phase. Direct cost was approximately 1.2 million yen during the mobilization phase and 2.3 million yen during the ASCT phase, with hospitalization basic fee accounting for the highest proportion in both groups and phases. A substantial amount of healthcare resource and cost was consumed in both phases. This study may serve as a basic reference for further health technology assessment of new medicines such as plerixafor. Further investigation of differences between treatment groups is warranted.

Quality of Life and Utility Values for Cost-Effectiveness Modeling in Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Reliable quality of life (QoL) measures and utility values are needed for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with a variety of comorbid conditions to help facilitate cost-effectiveness modeling. This study aimed to evaluate the Diabetes Treatment-Related Quality of Life (DTR-QOL) and EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaires in patients with T2DM with and without diabetes complications and comorbidities in Japan. METHODS: This was an observational survey study involving 1000 patients with T2DM, at least 20 years old, receiving treatment at Nara University Hospital or Takamura Internal Medicine Clinic in Japan. Patients completed the DTR-QOL and EQ-5D-5L questionnaires and clinicians completed an accompanying case report form. The DTR-QOL and EQ-5D-5L are scored on a scale of 0-100 and 0-1, with 100 and 1 representing the best possible scores, respectively. RESULTS: Out of 1000 recruited patients, 978 were included in the final analysis. Patients reported an average EQ-5D-5L value of 0.92 ± 0.11. Utility values corresponded to the degree of severity of health conditions while few differences were observed when stratified by the HbA1c 7% threshold, age, or BMI level, nor did the values correspond to the degree of clinical risk factors. Patients reported an average total DTR-QOL score of 79.26 ± 13.26. The DTR-QOL was sensitive to detect differences in patients with T2DM with a variety of complications and comorbidities, risk factors, and treatments. CONCLUSION: This is the largest study to report QOL values for patients with diabetes in Japan and the first to include a variety of comorbid diabetic conditions. These findings may be useful for cost-effectiveness modeling of patients with T2DM in Japan.

The revalidation of the diabetes treatment-related quality-of-life (DTR-QOL) questionnaire in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to develop a conceptual framework for the diabetes treatment-related quality of life (DTR-QOL) and validate the new structure of the DTR-QOL. METHODS: This study was conducted in two stages. First, items were collated into similar concepts to develop a new conceptual framework for the DTR-QOL. Next, psychometric analyses were conducted. Analyses included a distribution of responses (and domains) with a focus on floor/ceiling effects, item convergent/discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability (where possible), clinical validity, known-group analysis, and concurrent validity with the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire and SF-8. Known groups were evaluated using "Glycemic control in the last month", "Concerned with weight gain in the last month", "Current health status", and "Degree of communication with clinician". To evaluate the reliability of each scale, test-retest were assessed. RESULTS: The DTR-QOL items were reconstructed into seven domains based on similar concepts: usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression, satisfaction, positive feelings, negative feelings, and feeling troubled. Although there were ceiling effects on most items, when patients reported having a hypoglycemic event in the last month, score distributions found fewer ceiling effects indicating that items are able to respond to clinical changes. Internal consistency reliability was met for all scales except satisfaction (α = 0.69) and pain/discomfort (α = 0.66). Clinical validity, known groups, and concurrent validity were met. Test-retest met acceptable levels for all scales except positive feelings. CONCLUSIONS: The restructuring of the DTR-QOL resulted in an acceptable measure with domains that are easily interpreted and allow physicians to better measure more specific impacts on their patients.

Subcortical Ischemic Change as a Predictor of Driving Cessation in the Elderly.

OBJECTIVE: Motor, perceptual, and cognitive functions are known to affect driving competence. Subcortical ischemic changes on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reflect reduction in cognitive and motor performance. However, few studies have reported the relationship between subcortical ischemic changes and driving competence of the elderly. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between subcortical ischemic changes on MRI and driving abilities of the elderly. METHODS: Participants (n=540) were drawn from a nationwide, multicenter, hospital-based, longitudinal cohort. Each participant underwent MRI scan and interview for driving capacity categorized into 'now driving' and 'driving cessation (driven before, not driving now)'. Participants were divided into three groups (mild, n=389; moderate, n=116; and severe, n=35) depending on the degree of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on MRI at baseline. Driving status was evaluated at follow-up. Statistical analyses were conducted using χ2 test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), structured equation model (SEM), and generalized estimating equation (GEE). RESULTS: In SEM, greater baseline degree of WMH was directly associated with driving cessation regardless of cognitive or motor dysfunction (ß=-0.110, p<0.001). In GEE models after controlling for age, sex, education, cognitive, and motor dysfunction, more severe change in the degree of WMH was associated with faster change from 'now driving' state to 'driving cessation' state over time in the elderly (ß=-0.508, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In both cross-sectional and longitudinal results, the degree of subcortical ischemic change on MRI might predict driving cessation in the elderly.

Psychiatric Findings in Suspected and Confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Patients Quarantined in Hospital: A Retrospective Chart Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the psychiatric complications or risk factors for depression in suspected or confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) patients quarantined in hospital. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of all the patients admitted to the acute MERS inpatient unit at the NMC during the 2015 outbreak. RESULTS: 30 (75%) were confirmed to be MERS-CoV positive among 40 admitted cases. Among the 24 MERS survivors, 17 (70.8%) exhibited psychiatric symptoms and 10 (41.7%) received a psychiatric diagnosis and medication during their hospital stay. Suspected MERS patients did not exhibit psychiatric symptoms or receive a psychiatric diagnosis. 27 suspected or confirmed MERS patients (age 41.15±18.64, male 37.0%) completed psychological assessments. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-Short form and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores were significantly positively correlated with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the acute treatment of MERS-CoV infections in quarantine had a significant impact on the patients' mental health. Furthermore, assessment of the risk factors for depression may identify vulnerable patients who require psychiatric care and attention during hospital quarantine.

Korean Guidelines for the Pharmacological Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder: Initial Treatment Strategies.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to provide clinical consensus and evidence regarding initial treatment strategies for the pharmacological treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in Korea. METHODS: We prepared a questionnaire to derive a consensus from clinicians regarding their preference for the pharmacological treatment of SAD in Korea. Data regarding medication regimens and psychotropic drugs used during initial treatment, the doses used, and the pharmacological treatment duration were obtained. Responses were obtained from 66 SAD experts, and their opinions were classified into three categories (first-line, second-line, third-line) using a chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Clinicians agreed upon first-line regimens for SAD involving monotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine, or combined therapy using antidepressants with betablockers or benzodiazepines on a standing or as-needed basis. First-line psychotropic drug choices for initial treatment included the following: escitalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, and propranolol. The medication dosage used by domestic clinicians was found to be comparable with foreign guidelines. Domestic clinicians tended to make treatment decisions in a shorter amount of time and preferred a similar duration of maintenance treatment for SAD when compared with foreign clinicians. CONCLUSION: This study may provide significant information for developing SAD pharmacotherapy guidelines in Korea, especially in the early stage of treatment.

Memory Age Identity as a predictor of cognitive function in the elderly: A 2-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in finding psychosocial predictors related to cognitive function. In our previous research, we conducted a cross-sectional study on memory age identity (MAI) and found that MAI might be associated with objective cognitive performance in non-cognitively impaired elderly. A longitudinal study was conducted to better understand the importance of MAI as a psychosocial predictor related to objective cognitive function. METHODS: Data obtained from 1345 Korean subjects aged 60 years and above were analyzed. During the two-year follow-up, subjective memory age was assessed on three occasions using the following question: How old do you feel based on your memory? Discrepancy between subjective memory age and chronological age was then calculated. We defined this value as 'memory age identity (MAI)'. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) was then obtained to demonstrate the relationship between MAI and Korean version-Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) score over the 2 years of study. RESULTS: MAI was found to significantly (ß=-0.03, p< 0.0001) predict objective cognitive performance in the non-cognitively impaired elderly. CONCLUSION: MAI may be a potential psychosocial predictor related to objective cognitive performance in the non-cognitively impaired elderly.

Association between memory impairment and brain metabolite concentrations in North Korean refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had experiences of enormous psychological stress that can result in neurocognitive and neurochemical changes. To date, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. The present study is to investigate the association between neurocognitive characteristics and neural metabolite concentrations in North Korean refugees with PTSD. A total of 53 North Korean refugees with or without PTSD underwent neurocognitive function tests. For neural metabolite scanning, magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been conducted. We assessed between-group differences in neurocognitive test scores and metabolite levels. Additionally, a multiple regression analysis was carried out to evaluate the association between neurocognitive function and metabolite levels in patients with PTSD. Memory function, but not other neurocognitive functions, was significantly lower in the PTSD group compared with the non-PTSD group. Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels were not different between groups; however, NAA levels were significantly lower in the ACC of the PTSD group than the non-PTSD group (t = 2.424, p = 0.019). The multiple regression analysis showed a negative association between hippocampal NAA levels and delayed recall score on the auditory verbal learning test (ß = -1.744, p = 0.011) in the non-PTSD group, but not in the PTSD group. We identified specific memory impairment and the role of NAA levels in PTSD. Our findings suggest that hippocampal NAA has a protective role in memory impairment and development of PTSD after exposure to traumatic events.

The Use of patient Reported Outcome Measures for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Japan: A Systematic Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) obtained through routine medical care may identify patients' day-to-day burden and help tackle the disease from the patients' perspective. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the availability of PRO data and PRO tools for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan. OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the literature on PRO data availability and to identify PRO measures implemented in Japan for RA patients. METHOD: We conducted a systematic literature review using ICHUSHI and the PubMed databases on PRO measures for RA published from January 2011 to August 2015 in Japan. RESULTS: After removing duplicates, 2423 manuscripts were found. From these, 100 manuscripts were included for review and analysis. We found 29 PRO tools that were used to assess various domains of health such as general well-being, pain, functionality, and fatigue. More than 90% of the studies utilized PRO tools for research purpose. Only one study reported PRO tool implementation in the routine medical care. CONCLUSION: The importance of PROs is recognized in Japan. PRO tools varied significantly and were mostly used for research purposes, while reports on the use of PRO measures in routine medical care were limited. Despite the awareness of PROs in the research community, unmet needs remain among RA patients in Japan. Further work is needed to investigate ways in which PROs can better reflect these unmet needs and be utilized in routine medical care.

Application of health concern and activity model on cognition in the elderly.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of physical, mental, social activity, and health concern on cognition in the elderly by means of the health concern and activity (HCA) model. Data were obtained from 3157 subjects aged 60 years and above. The subjects were divided into four groups according to the HCA model. Cognitive function was assessed by the Korean version of the mini-mental state examination (K-MMSE). A cross-sectional, factorial design was used in which the K-MMSE score was the dependent variable, with physical, mental, and social activity as one factor and health concern as the other. Analysis of covariance revealed significant differences in the K-MMSE score between all four groups after adjusting for age, sex, education, current smoking, and alcohol consumption for all subjects. The results suggest that having health concerns as well as physical, mental, or social activity is associated with cognitive function in the elderly.

Factors influencing perceptions of need for and decisions to solicit child mental health services by parents of 9-12 year-old Korean children.

As children with emotional or behavioral problems often fail to receive the treatment available to them, this study examined (1) the degree of perceived need (PN) among Korean parents regarding mental health services for their children, (2) the factors associated with such perceptions, (3) the degree to which Korean parents actually engage mental health services for their children, and (4) the factors associated with such use. To determine the degrees of PN and actual use, 1,058 children aged between 9 and 12 years were asked to complete the Children's Depression Inventory, while their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. About 11.4% of the parents demonstrated PN, compared to 2.7% who actually engaged child mental health services. While most of the CBCL factors were associated with PN, the child's self-report significantly affected the perception as well. The attention problem score in the CBCL was the only factor that strongly corresponded to the actual use of services in Korea, a country where academic achievement is considered paramount, which suggests that cultural forces may play a powerful role in determining parents' decisions regarding child mental health care.