Associations Among Plasma Stress Markers and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Breast Cancer Following Surgery

OBJECTIVE: The objective of present study is to analyze the prevalence of depression and anxiety following breast cancer surgery and to assess the factors that affect postoperative psychological symptoms. METHODS: The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES) were used to assess the psychological states of patients who had been diagnosed with and had undergone surgery for breast cancer. Blood concentrations of the stress markers adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, arginine-vasopressin, and angiotensin-converting enzyme were measured. Pearson’s correlation analysis and multilinear regression analysis were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: At least mild depressive symptoms were noted in 50.5% of patients, while 42.4% of patients exhibited at least mild anxiety symptoms. HAM-D score was positively correlated with HAM-A (r=0.83, p < 0.001) and BIS (r=0.29, p < 0.001) scores and negatively correlated with RSES score (r=-0.41, p < 0.001). HAM-A score was positively correlated with BIS score (r=0.32, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with RSES score (r=-0.27, p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant associations between stress markers and depression/anxiety. CONCLUSION: Patients with breast cancer frequently exhibit postoperative depression and anxiety, which are related to low levels of self-esteem and distorted body image.

Mental Health Evaluation for Elderly in Community, Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: With the burgeoning elderly population, mental health among the elderly has surfaced as an important medical, social, and economic issue. This study was a pilot study testing the assessment module that was developed to survey mental health among the elderly living in the city of Busan. METHODS: Basic demographic data and mental health problems were investigated using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), suicide risk screening tool, subjective memory deterioration scale, sleep disorder and sleep pattern scale, health-related quality of life scale (EuroQoL-5 dimension), and alcohol abuse screening tool (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener Questionnaire). RESULTS: Four-hundred adults aged 65 years or older living in either of two districts in the Busan metropolitan city participated in the study, of whom 219 (54.8%) were female. About 26.8% of the participants were obese, while 2.3% were underweight. One hundred and twenty-five (31.3%) participants were in need of attention to or improvement of nutrition management, and 19.1% perceived themselves to be in poor health. In the GHQ-12, 68.8% were in psychological distress (≥2). About 49.8% of the participants had insomnia, 61.8% had subjective memory disturbance, and 6% were at risk of suicide. The GHQ-12 score, proportion of participants with sleep disturbance, and subjective memory deterioration was significantly higher among women than in men, while health-related quality of life was higher in men. CONCLUSION: A considerable number of older adults living in the Busan region were suffering from psychological stress, were in need of nutrition management, had low quality of life, and had poor mental health, and women were particularly more vulnerable.

Psychiatric Symptoms Among Female Adult Victims of Sexual Molestation : Comparison with Rape Victims / 정신신체의학

OBJECTIVES: According to the recent Korean National Police Agency report, rape victims were 17.1%, but sexual molestation victims were more than the rape victims by 78.0%. Despite many international reports about the occurrence of severe psychiatric symptoms in sexual molestation victims, there is no domestic research. Therefore in this study, we investigated psychiatric symptoms of sexual molestation victims, and we also compared it with psychiatric symptoms in rape victims. METHODS: 58 women who visited Busan Smile Center within 3months after sexual violence were the study subjects. Questionnaire about sociodemographic and sexual violence related characteristics were retrospectively investigated. Of the psychiatric symptoms, Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI) for severity of depression and anxiety, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised(IES-R) to check the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) symptoms were used. RESULTS: Of 58 sexual violence victims, sexual molestation victims were 36(62.1%) and rape victims were 22(37.9%). In sexual molestation victims, 80.6% had more than moderate severity of depression, 83.3% had more than moderate severity of anxiety, and 94.4% had significant scores at PTSD screening test. Compared with rape victims' psychiatric symptoms(each 95.5%, 95.5%, 95.5%) there were no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of sexual molestation victims were also accompanied by depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms as rape victims. There results suggest that appropriate assessment and early treatment for psychiatric symptom must be made in the early stage of injury in sexual molestation victims.

Comparative Study of Adolescents' Mental Health between Multicultural Family and Monocultural Family in Korea

OBJECTIVES: With the observation of factors influencing depression, self-reported happiness, self-reported stress and suicidal attempt, this study compared and evaluated the mental health of adolescents from multicultural families and monocultural families in Korea. METHODS: This study compared the characteristics of adolescents from multicultural and monocultural families based on the analysis of data of The Tenth Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey and analyzed the factors influencing adolescent depression, self-reported happiness, self-reported stress and suicidal attempt. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the levels of depression, self-reported happiness, and self-reported stress between adolescents from multicultural and monocultural families. However, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt were significantly higher in adolescents from multicultural families. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the mental health of adolescents from multicultural and monocultural families. Because depression is the greatest factor for suicidal attempt, and violence has stronger relationship with depression of adolescents from multicultural families, further study is needed to prevent this trend.