Objectives: This study aimed to compare psychosocial distress in areas in Korea with different prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after validating a questionnaire on psychological experiences and stress associated with the disease outbreak.Methods: Using an online-based survey, psychosocial distress associated with COVID-19 was investigated in three regions, which were selected according to their prevalence of COVID-19. A total of 1,500 people from an online public panel in the three regions participated in the study. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information, psychosocial experience and stress related to COVID-19, and the perceived stress scale (PSS), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7). Those questionnaires and scales were compared by level of prevalence of COVID-19 after validating the questionnaire on psychosocial distress associated with COVID-19.Results: The 19 items on psychosocial experience associated with COVID-19 comprised 5 subscales, with favorable Cronbach's α ranging from 0.69 to 0.88. Six stress items related to COVID-19 had a Cronbach's α of 0.79. Disturbance in eating and sleeping, difficulty with outside activities, stress from COVID-19, and PSS scores were greater in the areas where COVID-19 was highly prevalent. Economic problems, daily activity changes, and anger toward society were higher in the higher-prevalence regions.Discussion: Psychosocial distress associated with COVID-19 was closely related to the prevalence of the disease in the areas where participants lived. Psychosocial interventions for distress associated with COVID-19 should be developed and prepared for people during this lengthy pandemic.

Aim Non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is common among adolescents, and several different factors can affect its prevalence. The present study examined the associated characteristics predicting NSSI among adolescents in South Korea. Methods In total, 1674 high school students were recruited for a cross‐sectional survey. They completed self‐reported assessments, including the Deliberate Self‐Harm Inventory (DSHI), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD), the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the Prodromal Questionnaire‐16 (PQ‐16), as well as their bullying experience. The NSSI group was defined as the sample group with at least one NSSI behaviour on the DSHI scale. A logistic regression analysis was performed using the NSSI group as the dependent variable. Results The prevalence of NSSI was 28.3% (boys, 30.4%; girls, 24.4%) among adolescents. The most common type of NSSI behaviour among adolescents was interference with wound healing and sex differences in the method were examined. The CES‐D, STAIC‐trait, and PQ‐16 scores were significantly higher and the RSES score was significantly lower in the NSSI group than those in the non‐NSSI group. Participants' experience with bullying, such as being victims, bullies, bully‐victims, and witness to bullying, were more likely to be in the NSSI group. In a logistic regression analysis, NSSI was significantly associated with male sex, low academic achievement, higher depression, psychotic‐like experiences, being bullied, and witnessing bullying. Conclusion The results of this study suggest the need to identify and manage related psychologic factors in adolescents with NSSI, including psychotic‐like symptoms.

Aim In many Asian countries, youth mental health services are not well‐developed and access to treatment is generally delayed. Here, we present a community‐based service model based on our experience with Mindlink, the first early‐intervention centre of its kind in Korea. Methods We describe the history of this mental health early‐intervention service and the characteristics of users, as well as its intervention programmes and research directions. We also propose ways to further develop youth mental health services. Results A community‐based early‐intervention service for youth was first introduced in 2012, when a special team was formed in a community mental health centre of Korea. As the numbers of young clients increased, a youth‐friendly, early‐intervention centre called Mindlink was opened in 2016. Mindlink targets those aged 15–30 years with mental illness less than 5 years in duration. Its goal is to detect mental illness in young people early and provide comprehensive multidisciplinary interventions. It provides intensive case management and group programmes including cognitive‐behavioural therapy, family intervention, psychoeducation, behavioural activation and physical health promotion. The Korean government has officially announced that the Mindlink model is effective and is currently in the process of scaling it up on a national level. Conclusion An accessible, youth‐friendly, stigma‐free, community mental health centre such as Mindlink allows early detection and appropriate management of mental illness in young patients.

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). Sociodemographic factors and COVID-19-related experiences were also examined. A linear regression model was used to determine the factors influencing perceived stress. Results: The mean PSS-10 score was 19.0 ± 4.4. Linear regression analyses revealed that the MBI-GS-Exhaustion, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores were positively associated with perceived stress, while the MBI-GS-Professional efficacy score was inversely associated with perceived stress. Gratitude disposition using the K-GQ-6 score negatively predicted PSS-10 (β = 0.829, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Psychological interventions that help cultivate gratitude and professional efficacy among nurses can help promote stress resilience throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim Breakfast plays an important role in the academic performance and mental health of adolescents. This study explored factors associated with breakfast skipping in high school students in South Korea. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was completed by 1684 high school students. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the factors associated with skipping breakfast, including sociodemographic factors, mental health problems (such as depression and anxiety), sleep and smartphone use patterns. Results A total of 29.2% of the adolescents reported skipping breakfast and girls were significantly more likely to skip breakfast than boys (P < .001). The breakfast skipping group spent more time using a smartphone on weekdays [mean (SD) = 186.2 (180.0) min/d] than the breakfast eating group [mean (SD) = 110.2 (111.5) min/d] (P < .001). The Korean scale for smartphone addiction (S‐scale) score was higher in the breakfast skipping group (P = .006). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female gender, poor academic performance (odds ratio (OR),  1.575; 95% CI,  1.166‐2.126, P = .003), depression (OR,  1.023; 95% CI,  1.002‐1.043, P = .031), time spent using a smartphone on weekdays (OR,  1.003; 95% CI,  1.002‐1.004, P < .001), and low parental monitoring of smartphone use were significantly associated with skipping breakfast. Conclusions Findings indicate that unhealthy lifestyle including smartphone overuse negatively affects breakfast eating in adolescents. School‐based nutritional programs should be designed to assess and overcome various individual factors associated with breakfast skipping.