Economic Burden of Schizophrenia in South Korea

This study estimates the treated prevalence of schizophrenia and the annual costs associated with the illness in Korea in 2005, from a societal perspective. Annual direct healthcare costs associated with schizophrenia were estimated from National Health Insurance and Medical Aid records. Annual direct non-healthcare costs were estimated for incarceration, transport, community mental health centers, and institutions related to schizophrenia. Annual indirect costs were estimated for the following components of productivity loss due to illness: unemployment, reduced productivity, premature mortality, and caregivers' productivity loss using a human capital approach based on market wages. All costs were adjusted to 2005 levels using the healthcare component of the Consumer Price Index. The treated prevalence of schizophrenia in 2005 was 0.4% of the Korean population. The overall cost of schizophrenia was estimated to be $3,174.8 million (3,251.0 billion Won), which included a direct healthcare cost of$ 418.7 million (428.6 billion Won). Total direct non-healthcare costs were estimated to be $121 million (123.9 billion Won), and total indirect costs were estimated at$ 2,635.1 million (2,698.3 billion Won). Unemployment was identified as the largest component of overall cost. These findings demonstrate that schizophrenia is not rare, and that represents a substantial economic burden

Relationships of Mental Disorders and Weight Status in the Korean Adult Population

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between weight status and mental disorders, including depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder. A total of nationally representative 6,510 subjects aged 18-64 yr was interviewed in face-to-face household survey. Response rate was 81.7%. Mental disorders were diagnosed using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI). The subjects reported their heights and weights. After adjusting for age and gender, the lifetime diagnosis of depressive disorder had a significant association with only the underweight group (odds ratio [OR], 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-2.38). The association between underweight and depressive disorder was the strongest for subjects with a high education level (OR, 1.75, 95% CI, 1.2-2.56), subjects with a married/cohabiting status (OR, 1.94, 95% CI, 1.17-3.22) and smokers (OR, 2.58, 95% CI, 1.33-4.98). There was no significant association between obesity and depressive disorder in Korea. But there was a significant association between the underweight group and depressive disorder. The relationship between obesity and mental disorder in a Korean population was different from that in a Western population. These results suggest that the differences of traditional cultures and races might have an important effect on the associations between the weight status and mental disorders

Isoelectronic substitutions in II-VI semiconductors: Photoluminescence, absorption, and Raman spectroscopy

Photoluminescence and absorption measurements on ZnTe specimens with significantly higher oxygen concentration disclosed spectral features with four no-phonon lines, all displaced to lower energies with respect to that of isolated oxygen. Photoluminescence spectra of the new no-phonon lines show a temperature dependence characteristic of exchange coupling between an electron and a hole. The new features, including phonon replicas, appear to be due to excitons bound to oxygen pairs, with different OO separations. Photoluminescence (PL) and absorption spectra of ZnTe doped with Ca, Sr, and Ba, substituting the cation, Zn, exhibit features characteristic of excitons bound in a short range potential generated by isoelectronic impurities. The energy of the excitonic signature, Eg( x), in the wavelength modulated reflectivity spectrum of Zn 1−xMgxTe shows a monotonic increase with x in contrast to a large downward bowing of Eg( x) in ZnSxTe1− x and ZnSexTe1−x. Raman spectra of these ternaries display a remarkable resonance enhancement of the zone center LO phonon and its overtones when the scattered photon energy approaches the free excitonic transition energy. The binding energy of excitons bound to oxygen impurity present in ZnSexTe 1−x and ZnSxTe 1−x is proportional to the difference between the electronegativity of oxygen and the concentration-weighted average of those of Se (or S) and Te, both scaling with x. Due to the strong localization of the excitons bound to isoelectronic oxygen impurities, its no-phonon line (NPL) exhibits a significantly faster alloy broadening compared with that associated with excitons bound to shallow acceptors. Electronic Raman transitions due to the spin flip of the Co2+ 3d electrons in Zn1− xCoxTe and Cd1− xCoxTe (x ≤ 0.01) are observed at ħωPM = g(Co2+)μBH as both Stokes and anti-Stokes shifts. The intensity of the Raman-EPR shows strong resonant enhancement when the scattered photon energy coincides with the excitonic energy. Under resonant conditions, the Raman spectra also reveal “ZnTe-like” (or “Me-like”) and “CoTe-like” longitudinal optical (LO) phonons in combination with the spin-flip transitions

Mental health service use in a nationwide sample of Korean adults

Introduction An understanding of the factors leading to the use of mental health services is important in improving access to mental health-care. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of mental health services, determinants of use and barriers to use. Methods Data were derived from a representative sample of the general population, aged 18-64 years. The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used for the purpose of psychiatric assessment. Respondents were also asked about their use of mental health services, and about any experience of barriers to services. The response rate was 80.2%, and a total of 6,275 persons participated in the study. Results Of the respondents who completed the interview (n = 6,275), 1.9% reported the use of mental health services during the past 12 months. Of the respondents who met the criteria for the 1-year diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder (n = 916), 6.1% received mental health-care. Age, unemployment, and medical assistance (public assistance) were correlated positively with frequency of mental health-care. Of those who suffered from a psychiatric disorder but did not seek consultation (n = 836), 23.4% said that they desired to handle the problem on their own, and 23% asserted that they had no psychiatric disorder. Conclusions The high rate of non-consultation among those with psychiatric disorders constitutes an important public health problem. Public health efforts to narrow the gap in service delivery are crucial. Also, additional efforts are warranted to address barriers to mental health care to develop an efficient mental health-care system.Williams DR, 2008, PSYCHOL MED, V38, P211, DOI 10.1017/S0033291707001420Druss BG, 2007, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V64, P1196Wang PS, 2007, LANCET, V370, P841, DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61414-7Elhai JD, 2007, PSYCHIAT SERV, V58, P1108Judd F, 2007, AUSTRALAS PSYCHIATRY, V15, P185, DOI 10.1080/10398560601123724Jang YR, 2007, J AM GERIATR SOC, V55, P616, DOI 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01125.xCho MJ, 2007, J NERV MENT DIS, V195, P203, DOI 10.1097/01.nmd.0000243826.40732.45Steele L, 2007, CAN J PSYCHIAT, V52, P201Honkonen T, 2007, SCAND J WORK ENV HEA, V33, P29Abe-Kim J, 2007, AM J PUBLIC HEALTH, V97, P91Levinson D, 2007, ISR J PSYCHIATR REL, V44, P114Fenta H, 2006, J NERV MENT DIS, V194, P925, DOI 10.1097/01.nmd.0000249109.71776.58SEO MK, 2006, J KOREAN NEUROPSYCHI, V44, P371Barney LJ, 2006, AUST NZ J PSYCHIAT, V40, P51Gureje O, 2006, SOC PSYCH PSYCH EPID, V41, P44, DOI 10.1007/s00127-005-0001-7Kessler RC, 2005, NEW ENGL J MED, V352, P2515, DOI 10.1056/NEJMsa043266DRAPEAU A, 2005, CANADIAN J PSYCHIAT, V50, P599Saldivia S, 2004, PSYCHIAT SERV, V55, P71PAKR K, 2003, J KOREAN ACAD FAM ME, V24, P328CHO MJ, 2002, J KOREAN NEUROPSYCHI, V41, P123Andrews G, 2001, BRIT J PSYCHIAT, V178, P145Kessler RC, 1999, AM J PSYCHIAT, V156, P115Swartz MS, 1998, COMMUNITY MENT HLT J, V34, P133*WHO, 1997, COMP INT DIAGN INT VSHAH BV, 1997, SUDAAN USERS MANUALLin E, 1996, CAN J PSYCHIAT, V41, P572MELTZER H, 1995, PHYS COMPLAINTS SERVCROW MR, 1994, J MENT HEALTH ADMIN, V21, P5KESSLER RC, 1994, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V51, P8WITTCHEN HU, 1994, J PSYCHIAT RES, V28, P57*AM PSYCH ASS, 1994, DIAGN STAT MAN MENTJOSEPH AE, 1993, SOC SCI MED, V37, P813REGIER DA, 1993, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V50, P85HANSSON L, 1992, ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND, V86, P255OLFSON M, 1992, SOC PSYCH PSYCH EPID, V27, P161BLAND RC, 1990, CAN J PSYCHIAT, V35, P397KEELER EB, 1988, J HEALTH ECON, V7, P369WELLS KB, 1988, MED CARE, V26, P441KESSLER LG, 1987, AM J PUBLIC HEALTH, V77, P18TAUBE CA, 1986, HEALTH SERV RES, V21, P321LEAF PJ, 1985, MED CARE, V23, P1322HORGAN CM, 1985, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V42, P565MANNING WG, 1984, AM PSYCHOL, V39, P1077SUE S, 1977, AM PSYCHOL, V32, P616

Restless Legs Syndrome in a Community Sample of Korean Adults: Prevalence, Impact on Quality of Life, and Association with DSM-IV Psychiatric Disorders

Study Objectives: Conflicting reports on prevalence of RLS exist in Asian countries due to differences in sampling strategies and assessment instruments. We assessed the prevalence, correlates, quality of life, and psychiatric comorbidity of RLS in South Korea. Design/setting: Cross-sectional nationwide survey. Participants: Nationally representative sample of 6,509 Korean adults aged 18-64. Measurement & Results: Face-to-face interviews based on the Korean translation of the four features of RLS defined by the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG), the Korean version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI), and EuroQol (EQ-5D) were conducted for all participants. The weighted prevalence of RLS in South Korea was 0.9% (men, 0.6%; women, 1.3%). Subjects with RLS had a lower quality of life according to EQ-5D than those without RLS. Adjusted odds ratio for lifetime diagnosis of DSM-IV major depressive disorder (2.57, 95% confidence interval [1.33, 4.96]), panic disorder (18.9 [4.72, 75.9]) and posttraumatic stress disorder (3.76 [1.32, 10.7]) suggest strong association between RLS and DSM-IV depression and anxiety disorders. Conclusions: Prevalence of RLS estimated based on the IRLSSG diagnostic criteria is substantially lower in South Korea than in Western countries. Differences in culture and risk factors that affect the expression of RLS may vary across the countries.This work was supported by the Korean Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs.Benes H, 2009, SLEEP MED, V10, P524, DOI 10.1016/j.sleep.2008.06.007HENING WA, 2009, SLEEP MED 0128Lee HB, 2008, J NEUROPSYCH CLIN N, V20, P101Chang SM, 2008, J AFFECT DISORDERS, V106, P159, DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2007.07.023Cho YW, 2008, SLEEP, V31, P219Stefansson H, 2007, NEW ENGL J MED, V357, P639, DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa072743Winkelmann J, 2007, NAT GENET, V39, P1000, DOI 10.1038/ng2099Mignot E, 2007, NAT GENET, V39, P938McCrink L, 2007, SLEEP MED, V8, P73, DOI 10.1016/j.sleep.2006.03.014Winkelman JW, 2006, SLEEP MED, V7, P545, DOI 10.1016/j.sleep.2006.01.004Hornyak M, 2005, J CLIN PSYCHIAT, V66, P1139Mizuno S, 2005, PSYCHIAT CLIN NEUROS, V59, P461Tison F, 2005, NEUROLOGY, V65, P239Picchietti D, 2005, SLEEP, V28, P891Allen RP, 2005, ARCH INTERN MED, V165, P1286Kim MH, 2005, QUAL LIFE RES, V14, P1401, DOI 10.1007/s11136-004-5681-zKim J, 2005, PSYCHIAT CLIN NEUROS, V59, P350Demyttenaere K, 2004, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V291, P2581Berger K, 2004, ARCH INTERN MED, V164, P196CHIU E, 2004, AUSTRALAS PSYCHIAT S, V12, pS4Sevim S, 2003, NEUROLOGY, V61, P1562Allen RP, 2003, SLEEP MED, V4, P101, DOI 10.1016/S1389-9457(03)00010-8CHO MJ, 2002, J KOREAN NEUROPSYCHI, V41, P123Ulfberg J, 2001, MOVEMENT DISORD, V16, P1159Rabin R, 2001, ANN MED, V33, P337Tan EK, 2001, MOVEMENT DISORD, V16, P577Cho MJ, 1998, J NERV MENT DIS, V186, P304*WHO, 1997, PROC DEV NEW LANG VEWeissman MM, 1996, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V276, P293*AM PSYCH ASS, 1994, DIAGN STAT MAN MENTCHEN CN, 1993, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V50, P125LEE CK, 1990, J NERV MENT DIS, V178, P242*EUROQOL GROUP, 1990, HLTH POLICY, V16, P199, DOI DOI 10.1016/0168-8510(90)90421-9*WHO, 1990, COMP INT DIAGN INT CBUYSSE DJ, 1989, PSYCHIAT RES, V28, P193RADLOFF LS, 1986, COMMUNITY SURVEY PSYEATON WW, 1981, AM J EPIDEMIOL, V114, P528

Interpersonal trauma moderates the relationship between personality factors and suicidality of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more prone to suicidal ideation and behavior. While those who have experienced interpersonal trauma exhibit more suicidality than those who have experienced non-interpersonal trauma, it is unclear how the traumatic effects are related to an individual's personality characteristics. This study examined the association between interpersonal trauma and personality factors with suicidality, and elucidated the moderating role of interpersonal trauma in individuals with PTSD. The study included 6,022 participants from the Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study 2011. The Korean Version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used for the survey, including the participants' history of suicidality, the traumas they have experienced, and their PTSD symptoms. The 11-item version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-11) was used to assess the participants' personality factors. 76 individuals were diagnosed with PTSD, while 810 had been exposed to trauma but were not diagnosed with any DSM-IV mental disorder. Among the individuals with PTSD, those who had experienced interpersonal trauma were more likely to have suicidal ideation than those who had experienced non-interpersonal trauma (p = .020; odds ratio [OR] = 3.643; 95% confidence interval of OR = [1.226, 10.825]). High agreeableness and conscientiousness predicted less suicidality in those exposed to non-interpersonal trauma, while predicting more suicidality in those exposed to interpersonal trauma. Clinicians examining individuals with PTSD should pay closer attention to the trauma that they have experienced, as well as their personality factors, to provide appropriate treatment

Partial versus full PTSD in the Korean community: prevalence, duration, correlates, comorbidity, and dysfunctions

A few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of partial posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but points of agreement and disagreement between full and partial PTSD have not been fully investigated. We interviewed a representative sample of 6,258 subjects, ages 18-64 years, in household visits using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI 2.1). "Partial PTSD" was defined as >/=1 symptom in each of the three symptom groups (Criteria B, C, and D) and duration of >/=1 month (Criterion E). Estimated lifetime prevalence of partial PTSD was 2.7%, and that of full PTSD was 1.7%. A "female gender" risk factor was significantly associated with both partial and full PTSD. The mean duration of partial PTSD was 6.5 years, which was not significantly different from the 5.7 year duration of full PTSD. Traumas associated with the development of partial rather than full PTSD were "natural disaster with fire" and "military combat" in men, and "witnessing a traumatic situation" and "learning about traumas to others" in women, whereas "threatened by others" was more associated with the development of full PTSD. The rates of multiple comorbid disorders and of comorbid major depressive disorder and dysfunctions in work during the 1-month period prior to interview did not differ significantly between the partial and full PTSD groups. In conclusion, partial PTSD did not differ significantly from full PTSD in terms of duration, comorbidity, and dysfunction, but they differed markedly in terms of associated trauma types