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Background In 2011, Korean Neuropsychiatric Association renamed schizophrenia from ‘mind split disorder’ (‘Jungshinbunyeolbyung’ in Korean) to ‘attunement disorder’ (‘Johyeonbyung’ in Korean), in a strategic way to reduce social stigma toward people with schizophrenia. However, there remains an elusive consensus that how the renaming effort has contributed to changes in the social perception of schizophrenia in Korea. Methods With this regard, we explored whether media frames alter the social perception, in ways of respecting or disrespecting schizophrenia patients before and after the renaming. This study extensively investigated media keywords related to schizophrenia across the time by applying both language and epidemiologic analyses. Results In results, the media keywords have been negatively described for schizophrenia patients both before and after the renaming. Further, from an analysis using the regression model, a significant correlation was observed between the frequency of negative keywords and the hospitalization frequency of schizophrenia patients. Conclusions These findings suggest that the social perception of schizophrenia has been scarcely changed, but rather remained negatively biased against schizophrenia patients, in spite of the renaming effort. Notably, the biased media frames have been demonstrated to negatively impact on the social perception, and even on the medical use patterns of general schizophrenia patients. In conclusion, we suggest that the unbiased media frames along with the renaming effort may collectively help reduce the negative social perception of schizophrenia. Trial registration This study was approved from the Institute of Review Board (IRB) of the Yoing-In Mental Hospital (IRB No. YIMH-IRB-2019-02).

Background Acute appendicitis often presents with vague abdominal pain, which fosters diagnostic challenges to clinicians regarding early detection and proper intervention. This is even more problematic with individuals with severe psychiatric disorders who have reduced sensitivity to pain due to long-term or excessive medication use or disturbed bodily sensation perceptions. This study aimed to determine whether psychiatric disorder, psychotropic prescription, and treatment compliance increase the risks of complicated acute appendicitis. Methods The diagnosis records of acute appendicitis from four university hospitals in Korea were investigated from 2002 to 2020. A total of 47,500 acute appendicitis-affected participants were divided into groups with complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis to determine whether any of the groups had more cases of psychiatric disorder diagnoses. Further, the ratio of complicated compared to uncomplicated appendicitis in the mentally ill group was calculated regarding psychotropic dose, prescription duration, and treatment compliance. Results After adjusting for age and sex, presence of psychotic disorder (odds ratio [OR]: 1.951; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.218–3.125), and bipolar disorder (OR: 2.323; 95% CI: 1.194–4.520) was associated with a higher risk of having complicated appendicitis compared with absence of psychiatric disorders. Patients who are taking high-daily-dose antipsychotics, regardless of prescription duration, show high complicated appendicitis risks; High-dose antipsychotics for < 1 year (OR: 1.896, 95% CI: 1.077–3.338), high-dose antipsychotics for 1–5 years (OR: 1.930, 95% CI: 1.144–3.256). Poor psychiatric outpatient compliance was associated with a high risk of complicated appendicitis (OR: 1.664, 95% CI: 1.014–2.732). Conclusions This study revealed a close relationship in the possibility of complicated appendicitis in patients with severe psychiatric disorders, including psychotic and bipolar disorders. The effect on complicated appendicitis was more remarkable by the psychiatric disease entity itself than by psychotropic prescription patterns. Good treatment compliance and regular visit may reduce the morbidity of complicated appendicitis in patients with psychiatric disorders.

Despite the substantial burden of illness in schizophrenia, there has been a discrepancy between the beneficial effects of an increased use of antipsychotic medications and achieving limited recovery or remission. Because the focus of the most common antipsychotic medications is on dopamine, which is associated with positive symptoms, there is an unmet need for patients with negative symptoms. Since cognitive and negative symptoms rather than positive symptoms are more closely associated with psychosocial impairments in patients with schizophrenia, the non-dopaminergic systems including glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) of the prefrontal cortex should be of concern as well. The balance of excitation and inhibition has been associated with epigenetic modifications and thus can be analyzed in terms of a neurodevelopmental and neural circuitry perspective. Hence, a novel bio-psychosocial-behavioral model for the treatment of schizophrenia is needed to account for the non-dopaminergic systems involved in schizophrenia, rather than dopaminergic mechanisms. This model can be understood from the viewpoint of neurodevelopment and neural circuitry and should include the staging care, personalized care, preventive care, reducing the cognitive deficits, and reducing stigma. Thomas R. Insel proposed this as a goal for schizophrenia treatment to be achieved by 2030.

Cognitive impairment is a major comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities in patients with COPD and explored the correlation between abnormal FC and COPD-related clinical parameters. Forty-one patients with COPD, without a definite diagnosis of cognitive impairment or depression, and 30 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. A total of 184 resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) maps were generated for all seed points. Welch's -test was used to assess differences in RSFC between the COPD and control groups, and the correlation coefficients between RSFC and clinical parameters were calculated. Patients with COPD had lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and higher scores on the Beck Depression Inventory than the control group. Additionally, patients with COPD showed decreased RSFC in the left middle-posterior cingulate cortex, left posterior-dorsal cingulate cortex, and right superior occipital gyrus and increased RSFC in the left superior temporal sulcus, left posterior transverse collateral sulcus, right occipital pole, and right precentral gyrus. The regions showing differences in FC correlated with MMSE score, COPD symptom assessment scales, such as the COPD Assessment Test and modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, and pulmonary function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity. Patients with COPD showed significant differences in FC within specific brain regions that correlated with symptoms, cognition, and lung function.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Clinically Useful Anxiety Outcome Scale (CUXOS) and to examine the current diagnostic comorbidity and differential severity of anxiety symptoms between major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders. In total, 838 psychiatric outpatients were analyzed at their intake appointment. Diagnostic characteristics were examined using the structured clinical interview from the DSM-IV because the DSM5 was not available at the start of the study. The CUXOS score was measured and compared with that of 3 clinician rating scales and 4 self-report scales. The CUXOS showed excellent results for internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90), test-retest reliability (r = 0.74), and discriminant and convergent validity. The CUXOS significantly discriminated between different levels of anxiety severity, and the measure was sensitive to change after treatment. Approximately 45% of patients with MDD were additionally diagnosed with anxiety disorders while 55% of patients with anxiety disorders additionally reported an MDD. There was a significant difference in CUXOS scores between diagnostic categories (MDD only, anxiety only, both disorders, and no MDD or anxiety disorder). The CUXOS scores differed significantly between all categories of depression (major, minor, and non-depression) except for the comparison between minor depression and non-depression groups. The Korean version of the CUXOS is a reliable and valid measure of the severity of anxiety symptoms. The use of the CUXOS could broaden the understanding of coexisting and differentiating characteristics of anxiety and depression.

AP736 was identified as an antimelanogenic drug that can be used for the prevention of melasma, freckles, and dark spots in skin by acting as a suppressor of melanin synthesis and tyrosinase expression. Since macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses are critical for skin health, here we investigated the potential anti-inflammatory activity of AP736. The effects of AP736 on various inflammatory events such as nitric oxide (NO)/prostaglandin (PG) E2 production, inflammatory gene expression, phagocytic uptake, and morphological changes were examined in RAW264.7 cells. AP736 was found to strongly inhibit the production of both NO and PGE2 in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) treated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, AP736 strongly inhibited both LPS-induced morphological changes and FITC-dextran-induced phagocytic uptake. Furthermore, AP736 also downregulated the expression of multiple inflammatory genes, such as inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase- (COX-) 2, and interleukin- (IL-) 1β in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Transcription factor analysis, including upstream signalling events, revealed that both NF-κB and AP-1 were targeted by AP736 via inhibition of the IKK/IκBα and IRAK1/TAK1 pathways. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that AP736 is a potential anti-inflammatory drug due to its suppression of NF-κB-IKK/IκBα and AP-1-IRAK1/TAK1 signalling, which may make AP736 useful for the treatment of macrophage-mediated skin inflammation.

Objective: Using data from the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns for Antipsychotics (REAP-AP), our study aimed to establish the remission and severity ranges (mild, moderate, and severe) of schizophrenia on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-6 (BPRS-6). Methods: A total of 1,438 patients with schizophrenia from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan were enrolled in the study. Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, the optimal cut-off scores for the remission and severity ranges on the BPRS-6 were established. Results: The scalability of the BPRS-6 was considered to have an acceptable \"unidimensionality\" (coefficient of scalability = 0.43). The cut-off scores for the remission of schizophrenia and mild, moderate, and severe schizophrenia can be optimally defined as the BPRS-6 total score of <5, 5-9, 10-19 and >20, respectively. Conclusion: The BPRS-6 can be a promising, brief, and unidimensional rating scale to supplement the measurement-based care of schizophrenia.

Abstract Background Previous studies have shown that season of birth is one of the environmental variables and affects personality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between season of birth and personality in Korean college students. Methods A total of 2962 college students were included. The subjects were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI) and the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms, temperament, and personality traits. One-way ANOVA and linear regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Men born in spring had lower novelty seeking (NS) (P = 0.018, P = 0.03) than men born in autumn and winter. In the case of spring, men decreased the propensity for extravagance vs reserve (NS3) (β = -0.91, p = 0.001). When men were born in autumn and winter, they increased disorientation vs regimentation (NS4) tendency (autumn: β = 0.76, p = 0.04, winter: β = 0.056, p = 0.043). Discussion In this study, we examined the effects of season of birth on personality, especially the relationship between season of birth and Novelty Seeking of Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI). In the Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI) scale, Novelty Seeking (NS) is associated with bipolar disorder, dependency disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Further research is needed on season of birth, personality and mental illness.

Marriage rates are declining globally, a trend particularly notable in South Korea, where demographic shifts raise concerns about social well-being. While marital status is consistently linked to mental health, the extent to which social network size mediates the association between marital status and depression, particularly among contemporary Korean women, remains insufficiently understood. We analyzed 5443 Korean women aged 40 or older from the Korean Mood Disorder Genetic Study-Depression (KOMOGEN-D) study (2394 recurrent major depressive disorder [MDD]; 3049 controls). Marital status was dichotomized into married and unmarried (never married, divorced/separated, widowed). Social network size was operationalized as the count of friends and confidants. We used multivariable logistic regression and parallel mediation analysis to examine associations. Exploratory piecewise logistic regression identified network size thresholds for MDD risk reduction. Unmarried women showed nearly four-fold higher odds of MDD (odds ratio [OR] 3.99), with the highest risk among divorced/separated women (OR 4.90). Increased social network size was associated with reduced MDD odds (per additional friend: OR 0.90; per additional confidant: OR 0.84, in a mutually adjusted model), and network size accounted for ~13% of this association. A protective baseline of approximately two friends and one confidant was observed in the overall sample; however, this threshold shifted upward for unmarried women (3-4 friends/confidants). Living without a spouse is strongly associated with MDD, partially due to smaller social networks. Maintaining a minimum core of supportive relationships is essential, suggesting that interventions to strengthen social networks are vital public health strategies for unmarried Korean women.