The purpose of this study was to explain a structural model of posttraumatic growth among psychiatric nurses based on existing models and a literature review and verify its effectiveness.

Data were collected from psychiatric nurses in one special city, four metropolitan cities, and three regional cities from February to March 2016. Exogenous variables included hardiness and distress perception, while endogenous variables included self-disclosure, social support, deliberate rumination, and posttraumatic growth. Data from 489 psychiatric nurses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 19.0 and AMOS 20.0.

The modified model was a good fit for the data. Tests on significance of the pathways of the modified model showed that nine of the 14 paths were supported, and the explanatory power of posttraumatic growth by included variables in the model was 69.2%. For posttraumatic growth among psychiatric nurses, deliberate rumination had a direct effect as the variable that had the largest influence. Indirect effects were found in the order of hardiness, social support, and distress perception. Self-disclosure showed both direct and indirect effects.

A strategy to improve deliberate rumination is necessary when seeking to improve posttraumatic growth among psychiatric nurses. Enhancing psychiatric nurses’ hardiness before trauma would enable them to actively express negative emotions after trauma, allowing them to receive more social support. This would improve deliberate rumination and consequently help promote psychological growth among psychiatric nurses who have experienced trauma.

An effective rehabilitation program had been developed for psychiatric patients' self management of medication and symptoms in Korea. The rehabilitation program was designed to allow the patients to understand their illness, cope with their medical regimen, and prevent a relapse by recognizing any of the symptoms when they recur.

The developed program utilizes the self efficacy method reported by Bandura, it includes manuals and videotapes focusing on real life situations, small group discussions, and telephone coaching. This study investigated the effects of this program with respect to various predictable variables in psychiatric rehabilitation. Thirty eight patients were selected for this study, 18 in the experimental program and 20 as controls.

The results showed that the subjects who attended this educational program reported significantly more improvement in attitude toward medication compliance (p=0.033), and significantly less relapse warning symptom scores (p=0.000) than the controls.

This program may be a useful psychoeducational resource for professionals in the field of clinical practice in psychiatry.

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived importance of nursing intserventions of psychiatric nurses according to domains, classes and interventions using the 3th NIC.

In this study, a 435 of 486 nursing interventions were selected from 75% consent reached by experts. Data were collected from 9 hospitals and 141 nurses(return rates : 94.0%) in Seoul, Kyonggi, Chungnam, Gwang-ju and Chonnam region from January, 2002 to February, 2002 using 4 point Likert scale.

Total perceived importance score was 2.905+/−0.463 and total correlation score with performance frequency was r=0.295. The most important perceived domain and class was found to be ‘ safety’ (3.217+/−0.465) and ‘ community health promotion’ (3.285+/−0.866). The most correlated domain and class with performance frequency appeared to be ‘ behavioral’ (r=0.431, p=0.000) and ‘ communication enhancement’ (r=0.439, p=0.000). The most important perceived nursing intervention was found to be ‘ active listening’ (3.652+/−0.549).

In conclusion, nurses in clinical settings were found to perform less than perceive its importance. Therefore, further researches are needed to identify factors related to impede and develop strategies to improve the performance of nursing interventions.

The purpose of this study was to identify non-psychiatric nurses' difficulties in caring for patients with mental illness.

Data were collected from eighteen general medical-surgical nurses working at a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. This study involved two focus group discussions and three in-depth individual interviews. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they were spoken, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

General medical-surgical nurses experienced difficulties in 3 categories, 9 subcategories, 27 codes. The three categories were ‘nurse’ related factors, ‘patient’ related factors, ‘resource’ related factors. The nine categories were ‘unpreparedness’, ‘nursing barriers due to stigma’, ‘undervaluing and avoidance of psychiatric nursing’, ‘eroding into the trap of a vicious cycle’, ‘facing unapproachable patients’, ‘dealing with unhelpful family members’, ‘burdening already overburdened staff’, ‘obstructive environment’, and ‘isolation of staff with heavy responsibilities’.

The results of this study indicate the need to develop psychiatric mental health education programs for non-psychiatric nurses. Education about psychiatric mental health and support from institutions for non-psychiatric nurses can reduce their negative attitude toward psychiatric patients and difficulties in caring for psychiatric patients.

Meager research has been carried out to determine the effectiveness of the token economy among patients behaving violently in mental hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Short-Term Token Economy (STTE) on violent behavior among chronic psychiatric in-patients.

A nonequivalent control group design method was utilized. Participants in an experimental group (n=22) and control group (n=22) took part in this study from January to April, 2008. Observation on aggressive behavior among male in-patients in one hospital as a baseline was made during the week before the behavior modification program and measurement of aggressive behavior was done using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), which includes verbal attacks, property damage and physical attacks.

The aggressive behavior scores of the experimental group decreased, those of the control group, scores showed an increase after the eight-week behavior modification program utilizing STTE.

The results of the study indicate that STTE is effective in reducing the incidence of aggressive behavior among male in-patients in psychiatric hospitals. The outcome of this study should be helpful in reducing the use of coercive measures or psychoactive medication in controlling the violent behavior among in-patients in hospitals.

This study was designed to examine the effects of a weight control program on body weight and the sense of efficacy for control of dietary behavior in psychiatric inpatients.

A quasi-experimental design was used. Data were collected from March 1 to September 30, 2007. Female mentally ill patients in closing psychiatry ward of H University Hospital participated in the study (16 persons in the experimental group and 13 in the control group).

The weight control program including diet therapy, exercise, education and behavior modification therapy decreased the rate of weight gain in female mentally ill patients taking atypical antipsychotics, and effectively increased a sense of efficacy for control of dietary behavior.

Weight control program had a positive effect as a nursing intervention to decrease obesity and to increase the sense of efficacy for control of dietary behavior of psychiatric inpatients in psychiatric inpatients.