Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma: Psychiatric Evaluation of Offspring of Former "Comfort Women," Survivors of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery during World War II.

"Comfort women" are survivors of sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, who endured extensive trauma including massive rape and physical torture. While previous studies have been focused on the trauma of the survivors themselves, the effects of the trauma on the offspring has never been evaluated before. In this article, we reviewed the first study on the offspring of former "comfort women" and aimed to detect the evidence of transgenerational transmission of trauma.

Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity: Recommendations from the Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition.

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: 1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; 2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; 3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; 4) pharmacotherapy; and 5) bariatric surgery.

Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric obesity: recommendations from the Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition.

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: (1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; (2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; (3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; (4) pharmacotherapy; and (5) bariatric surgery.

Discriminative Effects of Social Skills Training on Facial Emotion Recognition among Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of social skills training (SST) on facial emotion recognition and discrimination in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: Twenty-three children aged 7 to 10 years participated in our SST. They included 15 children diagnosed with ADHD and 8 with ASD.

Psychiatric Sequelae of Former "Comfort Women," Survivors of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery during World War II.

"Comfort women" refers to young women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II. They were abducted from their homes in countries under Imperial Japanese rule, mostly from Korea, and the rest from China, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Netherlands, etc. "Comfort women" endured extreme trauma involving rape, sexual torture, physical abuse, starvation, threats of death, and witnessed many others being tortured and killed.

Differences in Utilization Patterns among Medications in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: a 36-Month Retrospective Study Using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Claims Database.

We evaluated the differences in utilization patterns including persistence and adherence among medications in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study was performed using data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims database from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013. Our study sample consisted of 10,343 children and adolescents with ADHD who were not given their newly prescribed medication in 360 days before the initial claim in 2010.

Prevalence and correlates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in Korean college students.

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persists into adulthood in a high proportion of cases, causing social difficulties and affective problems. We evaluated the prevalence of symptoms of ADHD and the correlates thereof in Korean college students.

Methods: A total of 2,172 college students, stratified to reflect geographical differences, were asked to complete self-report questionnaires on ADHD symptoms, depression, and related factors.

Factors associated with body image distortion in Korean adolescents.

Purpose: Body image incorporates cognitive and affective components as well as behaviors related to own body perception. This study evaluated the occurrence of body image distortion and its correlates in Korean adolescents.

Methods: In a school-based cross-sectional survey, a total of 2,117 adolescents were recruited.

The influence of subcortical ischemic lesions on cognitive function and quality of life in late life depression.

Objectives: Subcortical ischemic lesions (SIL) are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of late life depression. The present study examined the influence of SIL on cognitive function and quality of life in elderly Koreans with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: MDD patients (n=86) underwent CT scans and were classified as having SIL if they had a score of 2 or above on age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) scale.

Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms among North Korean Defectors Living in South Korea for More than One Year.

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in North Korean defectors who have been living in South Korea for more than one year.

Methods: We used questionnaires developed by the authors to collect sociodemographic data in addition to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Psychosocial Well-being Index to measure stress, and a social support scale. A total of 367 subjects were included in this study.

Effects of obesity and obesity-induced stress on depressive symptoms in Korean elementary school children.

Background: Obesity is becoming prevalent in Korean children. Because body image is becoming increasingly important, it is likely that obesity-induced stress has a significant effect on childhood depression.

Aims: To examine the correlation between obesity-induced stress and depressive symptoms in Korean elementary school students.

Depressive symptoms in elementary school children in Jeju Island, Korea: prevalence and correlates.

We investigated the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in elementary school children in Jeju Island, Korea. The study participants were 2305 children enrolled in elementary schools in Jeju-si, Seogwipo-si, Namjeju-gun, and Bukjeju-gun and their parents who completed questionnaires about sociodemographics, health habits, family relationship information, and the Korean form of the Kovac's children's depression inventory (CDI) in September to December 2005. Multiple logistic regression showed that higher age (OR = 1.

Protective effects of Castanopsis cuspidate through activation of ERK and NF-kappaB on oxidative cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide.

The protective effect of Castanopsis cuspidate var. sieboldii was examined on H2O2-induced cell damage. The ethanol extract of Castanopsis cuspidate was found to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and thus prevent lipid peroxidation and cellular DNA damage induced by H2O2.

Prevalence of depression and correlates of depressive symptoms for residents in the urban part of Jeju Island, Korea.

Aims: This study examined the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms, and the correlates of depressive symptoms, and proposes some methods for reducing risk of depression in residents of the urban part of Jeju Island in Korea.

Methods: In all, 1050 residents were selected using multiphasic cluster sampling to represent each district. Of the 981 respondents, 413 were men and 568 were women.

Protective effect of triphlorethol-A from Ecklonia cava against ionizing radiation in vitro.

We studied the cytoprotective effect of triphlorethol-A against gamma-ray radiation-induced oxidative stress. In this study, hydrogen peroxide, which is a reactive oxygen species (ROS), was detected using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay. Triphlorethol-A reduced intracellular hydrogen peroxide generated by gamma-ray radiation.