Earticle

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of perceived stress of self-sufficiency programs participants on suicidal behavior and verify the moderating effects of the amount of drinking and drinking frequency in this relationship. Method: To achieve the research objectives, a survey of 279 participants from the Seoul self-sufficiency center was conducted, and in the analysis data from 271 participants were used. Results: Main results of the analysis are as follows. First, when the research model was tested, it was found that perceived stress of self-sufficiency program participants had a positive influence on their suicidal behavior. Second, the amount of drinking had a positive influence on suicidal behavior. Third, in the relationship between perceived stress and suicidal behavior, amount of drinking was found to have a moderating effect. Conclusion: Based on the results, we provided effective suggestions to decrease the suicidal behavior among self-sufficiency of program participants, who experienced perceived stress.

Objectives: This study seeks to understand social and cultural characteristics of users of harmful levels of alcohol, with a comparison between Korean men and women being the focus of analysis. Methods: The 11th wave of the Korean Welfare Panel study, a nationally representative dataset, was used. The sample included 5,671 male and 7,346 female Koreans who were 16 years old or above in 2016. Those who reported 8 or more points for the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) were considered to be users of harmful levels of alcohol. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were conducted, with individual characteristics, socioeconomic status, interpersonal relationships, and social norms as independent variables, and whether one is a user of harmful levels of alcohol as a dependent variable. Results: Those who were 65+, who had more depressive symptoms, higher self-rated health, who were economically active, separated/divorced, who had experienced conflicts due to alcohol-related problems of other family members, whose spouse was verbally abusive, who were satisfied with social relationships, and who did not have a religion, were likely to be a user of harmful levels of alcohol among men. In contrast, females were more likely to be such alcohol users if they were less than 35 years old, had more depressive symptoms, had higher self-rated health, were economically active, high school graduates or less, experienced negative life events owing to financial difficulties, suffered spousal violence physically, and not religious. Conclusion: For both men and women, older age, depressive symptoms, healthier state, economically active status, satisfying social relationships, and being religious were linked to harmful alcohol use. However, men were most likely to drink riskily during middle adulthood whereas women were most prone during young adulthood. Tertiary education seemed to work as a deterrent, and economic difficulties and physical violence by spouse were encouraging factors for women. In contrast, separation/divorce, verbal violence by spouse, and alcohol-related family conflicts had effects on men’s harmful alcohol consumption. While more culture-sensitive strategies are warranted in terms of the positive impacts of economic activities, sound health, and friendship, addressing gender-specific covariates in intervention policies is also required.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of perceived behavioral control and alcohol identity on alcohol consumption in social drinking and solitary drinking, respectively. Methods: A survey was conducted with 521 Korean adults who had an experience of drinking alone. The amounts of alcohol consumption when drinking in a group and alone, perceived behavioral control, and alcohol identity were measured. Results: Results of the regression analyses are as follows. Both perceived behavioral control and alcohol identity had main effects on alcohol consumption when drinking both in a group and alone. There were also interaction effects of perceived behavioral control and alcohol identity. When people had a strong alcohol identity, the effects of perceived behavioral control on both drinking in a group and alone were stronger. Conclusion: These findings suggest that alcohol identity and perceived behavioral control should be considered when an intervention is designed to reduce alcohol consumption.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the risk of illness according to the frequency of drinking by using Korean epidemiological data. Methods: The Cox regression model was analyzed using the National Health Insurance Cohort Database. The diseases analyzed included cancer, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, liver disease, pancreatic disease, and epilepsy. Results: The risk of disease among high-risk drinkers is summarized as follows: esophageal cancer (6.1), laryngeal cancer (5.1), liver and pancreatic diseases (about 3 each), liver cancer (2.9), gastric cancer (2.5), rectal cancer (2.5), prostate cancer (2.2), and colon cancer (2.1). Conclusion: It is clear that the policy for the prevention and treatment of diseases of high-risk drinkers should be urgently implemented.

Objectives: This study was to examine the effect of perceived emotional support of pepole with interpersonal trauma experiences on the posttraumatic growth with considering psychological acceptance as a mediating variable. Methods: The sample of 351 adults who have experienced interpersonal trauma. Frequency analysis, correlation analysis and reliability analysis of collected data were conducted. Structural equation model was used for hypothesis verification. Results: As a result of verifying the mediating effect of psychological acceptance in the process of predicting posttraumatic growth from emotional support, emotional support increased the psychological acceptance and the individual path for statistically predicting posttraumatic growth was significant. Conclusion: It is meaningful to help people with interpersonal trauma experiences get perception regarding correlation among perceived emotional support, psychological acceptance and posttraumatic growth. Furthermore, it is significant to provide psychological counseling or necessary information for preventive intervention to mental health related organization's staffs and to improve individuals' quality of life and well-being.