Exploring the combined effects of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha and serotonin on antidepressant efficacy in depression: A 12-week prospective analysis.

Background: This study investigated the interplay between serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (sTNF-α) and serotonin (s5-HT) levels in predicting 12-week antidepressant treatment outcomes among patients with depressive disorders.

Methods: We analyzed baseline sTNF-α and s5-HT levels in 1086 patients enrolled in a naturalistic study of stepwise antidepressant treatment. Remission was defined as achieving a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of 7 or less at 12 weeks.

Validity of a smartphone application for self-monitoring psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: Despite increasing research on digital technologies for psychiatric disorders, studies specifically examining self-monitoring of symptoms with smartphone applications by patients with schizophrenia remain limited. This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of self-monitoring psychiatric symptoms using a smartphone application among patients with schizophrenia at Mindlink, a community-based early intervention center.

Methods: Fifty-three young patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders participated.

Enhancing predictive accuracy for antidepressant response in depressive disorders: The additive value of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 alongside hsCRP.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the potential additive effects of measuring serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) on enhancing the predictive value of baseline serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels for predicting 12-week antidepressant treatment responses in patients with depressive disorders.

Methods: Serum levels of hsCRP, IL-1β, and IL-6 were measured at baseline in 1086 outpatient participants diagnosed with depressive disorders. Participants initially received monotherapy with antidepressants for the first three weeks, followed by a naturalistic, stepwise pharmacotherapy regimen administered every three weeks up to 12 weeks.

The moderating role of circadian gene polymorphisms in the relationship between sleep disturbance and circulating lymphocyte subsets in colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: We investigated the impact of sleep disturbance on immune status in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with consideration of the moderating role of circadian clock gene polymorphisms.

Methods: A prospective longitudinal study design was used to collect information regarding sleep disturbance. Blood samples for immunologic assays were obtained the day before the first (baseline) and last cycles of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) chemotherapy.

A Review of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Approaches on Mental Health Diagnosis.

Combating mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety has become a global concern. As a result of the necessity for finding effective ways to battle these problems, machine learning approaches have been included in healthcare systems for the diagnosis and probable prediction of the treatment outcomes of mental health conditions. With the growing interest in machine and deep learning methods, analysis of existing work to guide future research directions is necessary.

Effects of Dietary Habits on General and Abdominal Obesity in Community-dwelling Patients with Schizophrenia.

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary habits on general and abdominal obesity in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to sex.

Methods: A total of 270 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder registered at mental health welfare centers and rehabilitation facilities were recruited. General obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m, and abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumstance ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 85 cm in women.

Prediction of 12-Week Remission by Psychopharmacological Treatment Step in Patients With Depressive Disorders.

Objective: To investigate the predictors of remission by 4 treatment steps in depressive outpatients receiving 12-week psychopharmacotherapy.

Methods: Patients were consecutively recruited at a university hospital in South Korea from March 2012 to April 2017. At baseline, 1,262 patients were evaluated for sociodemographic and clinical data including assessments scales, and were received antidepressant monotherapy.

Factors Associated With Depression and Anxiety in Korean Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: This study was performed to identify factors associated with depression and anxiety among Korean adolescents during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,898 Korean adolescents (55.2% male, 44.

Prospective associations of multimodal serum biomarkers with 12-week and 12-month remission in patients with depressive disorders receiving stepwise psychopharmacotherapy.

Prognostic biomarkers for depression treatment outcomes have yet to be elucidated. This study sought to evaluate whether a multi-modal serum biomarker panel was prospectively associated with 12-week and 12-month remission in outpatients with depressive disorders receiving stepwise psychopharmacotherapy. At baseline, 14 serum biomarkers and socio-demographic/clinical characteristics were evaluated in 1094 patients.

Effectiveness of group metacognitive training and cognitive-behavioural therapy in a transdiagnostic manner for young patients with psychotic and non-psychotic disorders.

Aim: To investigate group metacognitive training and cognitive-behavioural therapy (MCT/CBT) prospectively in a young population with various psychiatric disorders, including psychotic and mood disorders.

Methods: This was a prospective study to investigate the effectiveness of group MCT/CBT on quality of life, psychotic symptoms, depression, self-esteem, perceived stress, social function and social cognition. The objective measures included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), clinical global impression (CGI), personal and social performance scale for social functioning, a computerized continuous performance test for sustained attention and a computerized emotional recognition test for social cognition.

Effects of COVID-19-related stress and fear on depression in schizophrenia patients and the general population.

This study compared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related stress, fear of infection, loneliness, and depression between patients with schizophrenia and the general population. A face-to-face survey was administered to 1340 patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder and online survey of the general population (n = 2000) was conducted. The information gathered included the level of COVID-19-related stress, fear of infection, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score, and the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale score.

Childhood Abuse, Social Support, and Long-Term Pharmacological Treatment Outcomes in Patients With Depressive Disorders.

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the roles of childhood abuse and social support in predicting short- and long-term pharmacological treatment outcomes in outpatients with depressive disorders in a naturalistic 1-year prospective design.

Methods: Patients were recruited at a university hospital in South Korea between March 2012 and April 2017. Subjects with stepwise pharmacotherapy (switching, augmentation, combination, and mixture of these approaches) included 1246 patients at 12-week points in the acute treatment response and 1,015 patients at 12-months in the long-term treatment response.

Subacute Thyroiditis After Receiving the mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (Moderna): The First Case Report and Literature Review in Korea.

Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is a painful thyroiditis that often requires steroid therapy. Here, we report the first case of severe SAT in a patient who received the first dose of mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. A 34-year-old man without a viral prodrome felt a lump when swallowing 5 days after his first dose of mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination.

Decline in Hospital Visits by Patients with Schizophrenia Early in the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea.

Objective: This study investigated trends in hospital utilization by patients with schizophrenia during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea.

Methods: The Prophet algorithm was used to predict the monthly number of patients with schizophrenia in 2020 based on medical insurance data between 2010 and 2019. The projected expectations were compared with the actual number of patients receiving outpatient and inpatient treatment each month in the first half of 2020.

The association of gratitude with perceived stress among nurses in Korea during COVID-19 outbreak.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses might experience added emotional stress. This study examined the relationship between gratitude and psychological stress to explore effective psychological support among nurses.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessed the level of psychological distress in 646 nurses in Gwangju, South Korea, using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (K-GQ-6), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS).

Factors Associated With a Negative Emotional Response to News Media and Nationwide Emergency Text Alerts During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea.

Objective: To prevent the spread of infection in Korea during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, real-time warnings have been sent to all residents via mobile phones. This study examined the factors associated with the negative emotional response to media news and emergency text alerts in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A survey was completed by 1,500 adults from an online public panel in three regions.

Risk and protective factors of depression in the general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in Korea.

Background: The risk of depression has risen in the general population during the COVID-19 epidemic. This study was conducted to explore risk and protective factors associated with depression among the general population uninfected by COVID-19.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,500 representative South Korean citizens aged 19-65 years through an anonymous online survey.

Associations Between COVID-19 Symptoms and Psychological Distress.

Hospital isolation for COVID-19 may cause significant psychological stress. The association between COVID-19 symptoms and psychological symptoms has not been systematically studied. We investigated the effects of telephonic intervention on the relationship between psychological symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms at the time of hospitalization and 1 week later.