This study is an integrative review of efficacy studies on teletherapy which has risen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as a sole option for people in need of health psychological service. We searched domestic research articles over the past 3 years according to the integrative review procedure and selected the final 16 papers. The results of this study are as follows. First, the types of teletherapy used were listed in the order of frequency of use: mobile application, virtual reality therapy, video counseling and internet website-based treatment. Analyses revealed that virtual reality therapy showed high effect sizes in public speaking anxiety, social anxiety and state anxiety. In addition, mobile application therapy showed high effect sizes in cognitive emotion regulation, trait anxiety and depression. Second, research on teletherapy utilizing virtual reality and mobile applications has increased dramatically. Third, there is an increasing trend of research involving self-treatment. Based on the findings of this study, current issues on teletherapy and orientation for further research are discussed.
Chronic pain, unlike acute pain, refers to pain which interferes with the individual’s ability to function for longer than expected, and oftentimes refers to pain that lasts for a period of 3-6 months, or at times even longer. When assessing the social and medical costs of personal chronic pain, the physical management of chronic pain is often deemed necessary, while the intervention of psychological treatment is often neglected in Korea. However, the abstract and subjective concept of pain provides an important clue for the psychology of pain management intervention, and suggests the necessity of multidisciplinary pain treatment which includes biological, psychological, and social aspects. In post COVID-19 era, based on these multidisciplinary interventions, it is necessary to efficiently manage not only patients with existing chronic pain, but also patients who will be added with various methods, all while reducing the risk of infection. Methods which use digital infrastructure in particular provide an alternative to chronic pain management in Korea’s post COVID-19 era. Based on these changes, COVID-19 should not present a crisis for chronic pain patients, but rather a turning point for their active treatment and management.
The purpose of this research was to verify the effect of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program for acculturative stress and depression among Chinese overseas, which was conducted by video communication method during the COVID-19 era. Typically, 30 Chinese International Students were selected through random sampling; 15 students were assigned to the experimental group and 15 to the control group. The MBCT program was conducted with the experimental group at the same time by video communication. Eight sessions were carried out to implement the program for 4 weeks (twice a week and 90 minutes per session). The Pre-Post-F/U tests were carried out based on the depression scale (BDI-II) and the acculturation stress scale (ASSIS). Repeated Measurement ANOVA was performed to verify the research question and compare the F/U scores using the Pre scores of the experimental group and the control group as covariates. Furthermore, t verification was performed for the Pre-Post and Post-F/U test of the experimental group and the control group. It was observed that the experimental group members had significantly decreased levels of depression and acculturation stress compared to the control group members, and the effect continued in the F/U-stage. The limitations and implications of this study for future research are also discussed.
This study investigated the relationships between COVID-19 anger experiences and adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and mental health problems. For this purpose, we conducted an online survey from November to Decemver 2020 and analyzed data from 198 participants. Twenty-seven percent of the participants reported an increase in anger after COVID-19, and the results of content analysis of the anger-inducing factors showed that the key factors were “restriction of daily life due to COVID-19” and “other people’s non-adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures ”. Latent profile analysis identified three latent profiles: functional/ dysfunctional/ low anger expression group, respectively. Participants with physical disorders were more likely to belong to the dysfunctional anger expression group. Participants with a higher level of anger were more likely to be in the dysfunctional anger expression group. Preventive behavior, depression, and suicide risk also differed significantly among the identified profile groups. The low anger expression group showed a higher level of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures, and the dysfunctional anger expression group showed a higher level of depression and suicide risk. The current results suggest that efforts to promote preventive behaviors and prevent mental health problems may benefit from considering profiles of anger expression.
The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between anxiety and sleep during the COVID-19 period. To this end, online survey was conducted on 213 adults in the Gyeongbuk P region. Anxiety, sleep quality, insomnia and total sleep time during the COVID-19 period, sleep quality, insomnia and total usual sleep time were examined. One-way ANOVA was conducted to examine the difference in sleep quality, insomnia, and total sleep time according to the level of anxiety during the COVID-19 period and a paired sample t-test was conducted to verify the difference in sleep quality, insomnia, and total sleep time between the usual time and the COVID-19 period. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the effects of sleep quality, insomnia and total sleep during the COVID-19 period on anxiety. As a result, all participants experienced a high level of anxiety than a minor during the COVID-19 period. Likewise, there were significant differences in sleep quality, insomnia, and total sleep time depending on the level of anxiety. In addition, a comparison between the usual sleep and sleep during the COVID-19 period revealed significant changes in sleep quality, insomnia, and total sleep time. Also, sleep quality and insomnia of the COVID-19 period affected anxiety. The implications and limitations of these results were discussed in the current study.
This study identified the relationship between anxiety and the ability to cope with infectious diseases amongst 259 Korean adults over the age of 20, and examined the dual mediating effects of media selection in the risk perception and behavioral inhibition on the relationship. Anger was measured by trait anger, behavioral inhibition was measured by BIS (behavioral inhibition system), and the level of appropriate and inappropriate coping with infectious disease was also measured. The results of correlational analysis revealed that trait anger, media selection with risk perception, and behavioral inhibition were positively correlated with appropriate and inappropriate copings with infectious disease. There were positive relationships between trait anger, media selection with risk perception, and behavioral inhibition. In a mediating model of appropriate coping with infectious disease, the path trait anxiety mediated by media selection with risk perception, the path mediated by behavioral inhibition, and the path mediated by both variables were all significant. However, the direct path did not have significant effect. In a mediating model of inappropriate coping with infectious disease, the path trait anxiety mediated by media selection with risk perception, the path mediated by behavioral inhibition, and the path mediated by both variables were also significant. The total indirect effects were not significant, as the effect of media selection with risk perception was positive, and the effect of behavioral inhibition was negative in this model. This study provided useful findings about the role of trait anger, media selection with risk perception, and behavioral inhibition in Korean adults’ coping with infectious diseases.
Dating violence (DV) is considered an important phenomenon which causes various psychological and physical problems amongst young couples. One of the most widely-used measures of DV is the Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ), and recently, a revised brief version of the DVQ(DVQ-R) has been developed for widespread use. This study examined the validity of the DVQ-R in 300 Korean young adults who had been engaged in romantic relationships. Participants completed the DVQ-R, as well as other measures that assess physical/sexual violence in intimate relationships, depression, and anxiety. Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor structure of the Korean version DVQ-R, and the internal consistency of the measure was satisfactory. The effect size for the difference between sexual violence victimization scores for this study's participants, and those of another study's Spanish adolescents and young adults was relatively large. Female participants in this study reported more sexual violence victimization than male participants, whereas male participants reported more physical violence victimization than female participants. The effect of age on the DVQ-R was not significant, and the criterion validity and convergent validity of the measure were satisfactory. These findings suggest that the Korean version of the DVQ-R is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of DV in young Korean couples.
The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Multiphasic Anger Inventory (MAI), designed to measure state anger, trait anger, intimate state, tolerant trait, and negative growth experience. In Study 1, we examined the psychometric properties of the MAI in an adult sample nationwide (N = 926). Exploratory factor analyses and item-total correlations yielded a reliable and valid scale: state anger (10 items), trait anger (10 items), intimate state (4 items), and tolerant trait (4 items). In Study 2 (N = 407), we included negative growth experience (6 items) in addition to previously validated 28 items (state anger, trait anger, intimate state, tolerant trait) in the scale. We examined the reliability and validity of the MAI, employing exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, concurrent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Overall, results provided support for the reliability and validity of the MAI, suggesting that the MAI is a useful instrument in the area of health psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, organizational psychology, medicine, nursing, education, coaching, and criminal justice, among others.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attentional bias on the threatening of food choice for individuals with orthorexic tendencies. During the beginning of the study, 30 participants with orthorexic tendencies and 30 participants without orthorexic tendencies were selected. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions, according to the existence of orthorexic tendencies and stimuli types. Threatening stimuli consisted of words which were relevant to physical health or had ego-threatening effects, and neutral stimuli consisted of words without any attached emotional effect. After stroop test with threatening and neutral stimuli conditions, the individual’s approach to healthy food was measured through food choice tasks and voucher task choices. As a result, the healthy food approach of the group with orthorexic tendencies was higher than that of the normal group, when presented with threatening and neutral conditions. Specifically, individuals with orthorexic tendencies tended to approach healthy food significantly more, after having experienced threatening conditions as opposed to neutral conditions. These results indicate that individuals with orthorexic tendencies tend to have more rigid food choice when they are placed within a stressful situation. Finally, the implications and limitations pf the study were discussed, and directions for future study are presented.
In this study, we examined the effect of present bias(time preference) and belief about medicines on the medication non-adherence(intentional/unintentional) of patients with chronic disease in Korea. Over the course of this study, 158 patients with chronic diseases (hypertension/diabetes/hyperlipidemia) completed Delayed Discounting Tasks(DDT), Belief about Medicines Questionnaire-Specific(BMQ-Specific), and a revised Korean version of Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale(ARMS-K). As a result, it was found that present bias held a significantly positive effect on patients’ medication non-adherence, and results showed that the more present-biased the patients were, the higher both the intentional and unintentional non-adherences appeared. Additionally, results showed that belief about medicines held a significantly negative effect on medication non-adherence, with the stronger the belief about medicines, the lower the non-adherence, not merely unintentionally, but also intentionally. Finally, there were no interaction effects of belief about medicines on the relationship between present bias and medication non-adherence. Further analysis revealed, however, that concern about medicines, a subtype of belief about medicines, had an interaction effect on the relationship between present bias and medication non-adherence. Specifically, these results were shown in intentional non-adherence, but not in unintentional non-adherence. This study examined not only the belief patients hold for medicines, which has already been dealt with in pre-existing literature, but also suggests a new possibility where present bias may be a factor that may lead to the failure of medicine in-take for patients with chronic diseases. This study concludes with a final summary of these findings, a discussion of the implications and limitations of the study, and further suggestions for future studies.
This study aims to explore where repetitive negative thinking (RNT), a cognitive vulnerability resulting from various pathologies, and looks at different strategies to alleviate the condition. Other studies have found that emotional inhibition is a dondition which precedes the occurrence of RNT, and mindfulness acts as mitigating factor. in this study, we investigated both the role of attachment beyond emotional suppression as the starting point of RNT, and studied which specific components of mindfulness, a multi-faceted construct, contribute to decrease RNT. Korean versions of the Intimacy Experience Scale in Adult Attachment, Korean versions of Self-differentiation Scale for Emotional Avoidance, Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Self-assessment Anxiety Scale, and Experience Questionnaire were administered to a group 353 adults. As assumed, the indirect effect of avoidant attachment, leading to depression through emotional avoidance and RNT, was significant and the moderating effect of decentering upon this serial indirect effect measured as significant as well. Moreover, the same effects were observed in an analysis where anxiety was the dependent measure. These findings suggest that if a person with avoidant attachment selects emotional avoidance as a control strategy, paradoxical activation of RNT can occur, leading to emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety, and that decentering may alleviate these pathological processes. Furthermore, the implications of the finding show that decentering interventions and therapeutic intervention for each variable may sever the relationship between RNT and pathological conditions. Lastly, this study concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and directions for future research.
The relationship between sleep disturbance and subjective cognitive decline has recently come into the spotlight, as researchers continue to look at the effects of sleep disturbance on the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and the overall well-being of older individuals. Nevertheless, the results of the studies have shown mixed results in tracing the relationship between the process of sleep disturbance and objective indices of decline in cognitive functioning as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety. This present study therefore aimed to examine this process and the effects of affective disturbance. A total of 101 community dwelling older adults in Korea participated in the study, and had their sleep disturbance level, affective disturbance, subjective cognitive decline, and objective cognitive functioning assessed. The results indicated that affective disturbance fully mediated the relationship between sleep disturbance and subjective cognitive decline, even when controlling for objective cognitive functioning. Such results suggests the possibility that subjective cognitive decline, concurrent with sleep problems in the elderly, may be associated with affective disturbance, and affecting depression and anxiety in particular, therefore emphasizing the importance of utilizing a biopsychosocial approach when addressing the health-related complaints of older adults.