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Purpose: To investigate age-related differences in the relationships among at-risk alcohol consumption, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and psychological distress with a special focus on older adults.Methods: We used a nationwide cross-sectional study of a representative sample of community-dwelling adults from the Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study for psychiatric disorders conducted by door-to-door interviews. The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was applied. Subjects were categorized into four age groups: young-to-middle-aged (20-54 years), near-old (55-64 years), early-old (65-74 years), and late-old (≥ 75 years). The associations among at-risk drinking, alcohol use disorder, and psychological distress were examined according to age groups.Results: Among a total of 5102 individuals, half of them drank alcohol in the previous year, of whom 20.5% were at-risk drinkers (≥ 100 g/week). Older people were less often diagnosed with AUD than young-to-middle-aged adults with a similar degree of at-risk drinking. They were less likely to meet the DSM-5 AUD criteria in terms of social and vocational role disruption or creation of a physically hazardous situation. However, at-risk drinking showed a stronger association with subjective psychological distress in older adults, particularly in the near-old group (adjusted odds ratio 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.09-3.03; p = 0.023).Conclusions: These findings indicate the importance of screening for mental health problems in older adults, especially near-old adults, who drink more than 100 g of alcohol per week even when they do not satisfy the criteria for a diagnosis of AUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study compared the factors associated with the utilization of mental health services across various age cohorts, with a particular focus on the differential influence of the stigma placed on mental illness on the use of these services. Methods: The present study used data from a Korean national epidemiological survey of mental disorders among community-dwelling adults aged 18-74 years ( n = 3,055). The subjects were categorized into three age groups: young (18-39), middle-aged (40-59), and late adulthood (60-74). The Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination scale was used to assess the stigma placed on mental disorders in each group. The influence of perceived stigma on lifetime utilization of mental health services was examined according to age cohort using multiple logistic regression analyses that were adjusted for various sociodemographic factors ( p < 0.006 with a Bonferroni correction). Results: The late-adulthood cohort was more likely to have perceived stigma of mental illness than were the other two groups, and the utilization of mental health services by the elderly cohort was more strongly affected by this perceived stigma than was such utilization by younger cohorts [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4.14, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.86-9.22]. In the middle-aged cohort, being female or never being married was a significant determinant of use of mental health services (female, AOR 3.80, 95 % CI 2.17-6.65; unmarried, AOR 3.09, 95 % CI 1.43-6.70). Conclusion: It is important to reduce the perceived stigma placed on mental illness to improve access to mental health care among the current population of elderly people in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We examined the prevalence, correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) according to the DSM-IV criteria in a nationwide sample of Korean women. Methods: A total of 2,499 women aged 18-64 years participated in this study. Diagnostic assessments were based on the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) 2.1 and its 12-month PMDD diagnostic module, which were administered by lay interviewers. The frequencies of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders, insomnia, and suicidal tendency were analyzed among PMDD cases and compared with non-PMDD cases, and both odds ratios and significance levels were calculated. Results: The 12-month prevalence rate of DSM-IV-diagnosed PMDD was 2.4 %. Among subjects with PMDD, 59.3 % had at least one psychiatric illness; in comparison, the control frequency was 21.8 %. Associations between PMDD and alcohol abuse/dependence, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, somatoform disorder, insomnia, and suicidality were overwhelmingly positive and significant ( p < 0.05), after controlling for age. Physical illness and being underweight were associated with increased risks of PMDD ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: PMDD was prevalent in the nationwide sample of Korean women and was frequently associated with other psychiatric disorders, insomnia, and suicidality, suggesting the need to detect and treat women who experience PMDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study represents the first attempt at examining variation across Korean cohorts with respect to lifetime risk of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. Aims: To present data on lifetime prevalence and projected lifetime risk, as well as age of onset (AOO) and demographic correlates of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders as assessed in the nationwide survey of a representative sample of Korean adults. Method: The survey was based on a multistage area probability sample of non-institutionalized Koreans aged 18-64 years. The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1 (K-CIDI 2.1) was administered by lay interviewers. Results: Lifetime prevalence of any disorder was 24.6%. Alcohol abuse (9.2%), alcohol dependence (7.0%), major depressive disorder (5.6%), specific phobia (3.8%), and GAD (1.6%) were the most common disorders. The median AOO was earliest for anxiety disorders (age 29), latest for mood disorders (age 47), and intermediate for alcohol use disorders (age 31). Compared to observed lifetime prevalence (24.6%), 35.0% of Koreans will eventually experience one of these disorders. Further, half of the population who present with a psychiatric disorder do so by the age of 32 and younger cohorts are at greater risk for most disorders. Conclusions: About one-third of the Korean adult population will meet the criteria for a DSM-IV psychiatric disorder at some time during their life. The median age of onset varies from disorder to disorder and younger cohorts appear to be at greater risk for most disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]