No abstract

Up-regulation of plasma adiponectin may precede the onset of clinically significant depression in the elderly, and thus plasma adiponectin level is a potential candidate marker for the risk of depression.

Objectives : People at ultra-high risk for psychosis have heterogenous character and different long-term outcomes. We divided ultra-high risk subjects into two subgroups by presence of familial history and tried to find different pattern of functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) between the two groups in order to examine the effects familial loading. Methods : Eleven subjects at clinical-high risk (CHR) group with familial history of psychiatric illness and nineteen subjects of CHR group without familial history were recruited. All the subjects were scanned using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. A posterior cingulate cortex was the seed region of the analysis, and the DMN of the both high risk group were analyzed with voxel-wise two sample T test.Results : The CHR group with familial history showed greater functional connectivity in the precuneus area in contrast with the other high risk subjects (peak-level t=5.49, p＜0.001). There were no significant differences in total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Scales of Psychosis-risk Syndrome between the two groups. Conclusion : The study suggests that the abnormalities of functional connectivity between precuneus and posterior cingulate area may be associated with the genetic vulnerability of high risk trait. (Korean J Schizophr Res 2012;15:90-98)

Background: It is generally known that firefighters are at the increased risk of suicide. However, the prevalence or correlates of suicidal ideation in firefighters have not been thoroughly explained to date. The aim of this study was to measure the 1-year prevalence of suicidal ideation in firefighters and to investigate the correlates of recent suicidal ideation among the demographic, occupational and clinical characteristics. Method: A web-based survey was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 45,698 Korean firefighters were included for analysis. Prevalence of suicidal ideation in the past year was calculated and its correlates were elucidated using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The 1-year prevalence of suicidal ideation was 10.66% in Korean firefighters. Recent traumatic experience, high levels of occupational stress from physical work environment and emotional labor, and the officer as a present job were significant correlates of suicidal ideation in the previous year, even after controlling the effect of PTSD and depressive symptoms. With respect to demographic factors, female gender, and divorced/separated/widowed marital status were associated with suicidal ideation in the previous year in firefighters. Conclusions: More firefighters experienced recent suicidal ideation than the general population and there were risk factors related to the role of firefighters in Korea. Intervention and policies that manage these risk factors are necessary for the prevention of suicide in firefighters.

Background: It is generally known that firefighters are at an increased risk of suicide. However, the prevalence or correlates of suicidal ideation in firefighters have not been thoroughly explained to date. The aim of this study was to measure the 1-year prevalence of suicidal ideation in firefighters and to investigate the correlates of past-year suicidal ideation among the demographic, occupational and clinical characteristics. Method: A web-based survey was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 45,698 Korean firefighters were included for analysis. Prevalence of suicidal ideation in the past year was calculated and its correlates were elucidated using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The 1-year prevalence of suicidal ideation was 10.66% in Korean firefighters. Recent traumatic experience, high levels of occupational stress from physical work environment and emotional labor, as well as current duty of officer were significant correlates of suicidal ideation in the previous year, even after controlling the effect of PTSD and depressive symptoms. With respect to demographic factors, female gender, and divorced/separated/widowed marital status were associated with suicidal ideation in the previous year in firefighters.Conclusions: More firefighters experienced recent suicidal ideation than the general population and there were risk factors related to the role of firefighters in Korea. Intervention and policies that manage these risk factors are necessary for the prevention of suicide in firefighters.