Breast cancer is a major global health issue, especially among women. Previous research has indicated a possible association between psychiatric conditions, particularly schizophrenia, and an increased risk of breast cancer. However, the specific risk of breast cancer in women with schizophrenia, compared with those with other psychiatric disorders and the general population, remains controversial and needs further clarification.

To estimate the risk of breast cancer among people with schizophrenia compared with people with other psychiatric disorders and people in the general population.

We utilised medical claims data of women aged 18 to 80 years in the Korean National Health Information Database from 2007 to 2018. Individuals with schizophrenia were defined as women with ICD-10 codes F20 or F25 (n = 224 612). The control groups were defined as women with other psychiatric disorders (n = 224 612) and women in the general Korean population (n = 449 224). Cases and controls were matched by index date and age, in a 1:1:2 ratio. We estimated the hazard of breast cancer using the Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for insurance premiums and medical comorbidities. Among the people with schizophrenia, we used the landmark method to estimate the association between duration of antipsychotic medication use and the incidence of breast cancer.

In multivariable Cox regression models, the hazard rate of breast cancer was 1.26 times higher in the people with schizophrenia than in the general population (95% CI: 1.20–1.32). In comparison with the psychiatric patient group, the hazard ratio was 1.17 (95% CI: 1.11–1.28). Among women with schizophrenia, the hazard of breast cancer was greater among those who took antipsychotic medications for 1 year or more compared with those who took antipsychotics for less than 6 months.

Women with schizophrenia have an elevated risk of breast cancer, and long-term use of antipsychotics is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

This study examined the relationship between changes in physical activity and their impact on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life over a 3-year span in patients with CHD.

We evaluated 99 young patients with CHD, aged 13–18 years at the outset. Physical activity, health-related quality of life, and exercise capacity were assessed via questionnaires and peak oxygen uptake measurements at baseline and after 3 years; changes in measures were estimated between the two time points and categorised into quartiles. Participants were stratified according to achieved (active) or not-achieved (inactive) recommended levels of physical activity (≥150 minutes/week) at both time points.

Despite increases in physical activity, exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life over 3 years, the changes were not statistically significant (all p > 0.05). However, a positive association was found between physical activity changes and exercise capacity (ß = 0.250, p = 0.040) and health-related quality of life improvements (ß = 0.380, p < 0.001). Those with the most pronounced physical activity increase showed notable exercise capacity (p < 0.001) and health-related quality of life increases (p < 0.001) compared with patients with the largest decline in physical activity. The active-inactive category demonstrated a notable decline in exercise capacity compared to the active-active group, while the inactive-active group showed health-related quality of life improvements.

Over 3 years, increased physical activity was consistently linked to increases in exercise capacity and health-related quality of life in patients with CHD, highlighting the potential of physical activity augmentation as an intervention strategy.

There is limited evidence on the interaction by alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH1B) (rs1229984) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) (rs671) regarding the associations of alcohol and a methyl diet (low folate and high alcohol intake) with cancer risk, partly because of rare polymorphisms in Western populations.

In a case–control study, we estimated the ORs and 95 % CIs to evaluate the associations of ADH1B and ALDH2 genotypes with colorectal cancer (CRC) and the joint association between methyl diets and ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms with CRC risk using logistic regression models.

A hospital-based case–control study.

In total, 1001 CRC cases and 899 cancer-free controls admitted to two university hospitals.

We found that alcohol intake increased the risk of CRC; OR (95 % CI) was 2·02 (1·41, 2·87) for ≥60 g/d drinkers compared with non-drinkers (Ptrend < 0·001). The associations for two polymorphisms with CRC were not statistically significant. However, we found a potential interaction of ALDH2 with methyl diets and CRC. We observed a 9·08-fold (95 % CI 1·93, 42·60) higher risk of CRC for low-methyl diets compared with high-methyl diets among individuals with an A allele of ALDH2, but the association was not apparent among those with ALDH2 GG (Pinteraction = 0·02).

Our data support the evidence that gene–methyl diet interactions may be involved in CRC risk in East Asian populations, showing that a low-methyl diet increased the risk of CRC among individuals with an A allele of ALDH2.

This study aimed to investigate associations among spirituality, coping strategies, quality of life (QOL), and the effects of depression and anxiety thereon in cancer patients.

In total, 237 cancer patients referred to a psycho-oncology clinic at a university hospital in Korea were enrolled. After identifying predictors of patient QOL in a stepwise regression model, we developed a hypothetical path model wherein interpersonal coping was considered as a mediating variable between spirituality (meaning/peace) and QOL and wherein depression and anxiety affected each of these three variables.

The direct effect of spirituality (meaning/peace) on QOL was 36.7%. In an indirect model, interpersonal coping significantly mediated the relationship between spirituality (meaning/peace) and QOL. Depression exerted the largest negative effect on spirituality (meaning/peace), interpersonal coping, and QOL. Anxiety had negative effects on spirituality (meaning/peace) and QOL, but a positive effect on interpersonal coping.

Interpersonal coping strategies work as a partial mediator of the relationship between meaning/peace subscales of spirituality and QOL. Effective management of depression may help in achieving better outcomes associated therewith. Greater attention and efforts to improve social connectedness and meaning of life in spiritual well-being may improve the QOL of cancer patients.

This study investigates whether maintaining high levels of cognitive impairment and weak grip strength will predict a higher risk for mortality.

Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2006 to 2014 was assessed using longitudinal data analysis and included 5,812 research subjects. Our modeling approach jointly estimated multi-period trajectories of grip strength and cognitive impairment, and the primary analysis was based on Cox proportional hazards models.

A four-class linear solution fit the data best in both cognitive impairment and grip strength based on the model fitness, respectively. The hazard ratio (HR) of mortality in group 1 (consistently low) of cognitive impairment and of grip strength were 2.114 times higher (p-value 0.001) and 3.405 times higher (p-value <.0001) compared with group 3 (consistently high) and group 4 (consistently high), respectively.

This study provides insightful scientific evidence into the specificity of longitudinal changes in grip strength and cognitive impairment on mortality. Our findings suggest that declined cognitive ability and weak grip strength are predictors of mortality in older Korean people.

Depressive symptoms are common in bereaved caregivers; however, there have been few prospective studies using a structured interview. This study investigated the prevalence and preloss predictors of major depressive disorder (MDD) in bereaved caregivers of patients in a palliative care unit.

This prospective cohort study collected caregiver sociodemographic and psychological data before the death of a palliative care unit patient, including MDD, care-burden, coping style, and hopeful attitude. Postloss MDD was assessed 6 and 13 months after death, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify its predictors.

Of 305 caregivers contacted, 92 participated in this study. The prevalence of preloss MDD was 21.8%; the prevalences of postloss MDD were 34.8% and 24.7% at 6 and 13 months, respectively. Preloss MDD predicted postloss MDD at 6 months (odds ratio [OR] = 5.38, 95% confidence interval [CI95%] = 1.29, 22.43); preloss nonhopeful attitude and unemployment status of caregivers predicted postloss MDD at 13 months (OR = 8.77, CI95% = 1.87, 41.13 and OR = 7.10, CI95% = 1.28, 39.36, respectively).

Approximately 35% of caregivers suffered from MDD at 6 months postloss, but the prevalence of MDD decreased to about 25% at 13 months. Preloss MDD significantly predicted postloss MDD at 6 months, whereas hopeful attitude and unemployment at baseline were significantly associated with postloss MDD at 13 months.

This study investigates the relationship between insomnia and cognitive dysfunctions including, subjective memory impairment (SMI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia, by considering depression in a community sample of elderly individuals.

Data for 1,740 elderly individuals aged 65 years and over were obtained from a nationwide dementia epidemiological study conducted in South Korea. Cognitive functional status was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet Clinical Assessment Battery. Insomnia was defined as the presence of at least one of the four sleep complaints (difficulty in initiating sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, and non-restorative sleep), accompanied by moderate to severe daytime consequences. Depression was evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale.

The prevalence of insomnia in the patients with SMI, MCI, and dementia was found to be 23.2%, 19.6%, and 31.0%, respectively. The patients with SMI, MCI, and dementia were significantly more likely to have insomnia and the four sleep complaints than the normal comparison patients. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, the significant relationships between cognitive dysfunctional status and insomnia remained. However, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depression, no significant relationships with any of the sleep complaints or insomnia remained.

Insomnia is a very common complaint in the elderly with SMI, MCI, and dementia. Depression might play an important factor in the relationship between insomnia and cognitive dysfunctional status in the elderly.

Personality may predispose family caregivers to experience caregiving differently in similar situations and influence the outcomes of caregiving. A limited body of research has examined the role of some personality traits for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) in relation to burden and depression.

Data from a large clinic-based national study in South Korea, the Caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease Research (CARE), were analyzed (N = 476). Path analysis was performed to explore the association between family caregivers’ personality traits and HRQoL. With depression and burden as mediating factors, direct and indirect associations between five personality traits and HRQoL of family caregivers were examined.

Results demonstrated the mediating role of caregiver burden and depression in linking two personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) and HRQoL. Neuroticism and extraversion directly and indirectly influenced the mental HRQoL of caregivers. Neuroticism and extraversion only indirectly influenced their physical HRQoL. Neuroticism increased the caregiver's depression, whereas extraversion decreased it. Neuroticism only was mediated by burden to influence depression and mental and physical HRQoL.

Personality traits can influence caregiving outcomes and be viewed as an individual resource of the caregiver. A family caregiver's personality characteristics need to be assessed for tailoring support programs to get the optimal benefits from caregiver interventions.

To determine the influence of caregiver personality and other factors on the burden of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.

We investigated a wide range of factors related to the patient–family caregiver dyad in a palliative care setting using a cross-sectional design. Caregiver burden was assessed using the seven-item short version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI–7). Caregiver personality was assessed using the 10-item short version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI–10), which measures the following five personality dimensions: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Patient- and caregiver-related sociodemographic and psychological factors were included in the analysis because of their potential association with caregiver burden. Clinical patient data were obtained from medical charts or by using other measures. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent factors associated with caregiver burden.

We analyzed 227 patient–family caregiver dyads. The multivariate analysis revealed that caregiver extroversion was protective against caregiver burden, whereas depressive symptoms in caregivers were related to increased burden. Neuroticism was positively correlated with caregiver burden, but this relationship was nonsignificant following adjustment for depressive symptoms. Patient-related factors were not significantly associated with caregiver burden.

Evaluating caregiver personality traits could facilitate identification of individuals at greater risk of high burden. Furthermore, depression screening and treatment programs for caregivers in palliative care settings are required to decrease caregiver burden.

The aim of this study is to examine a relationship between a change in social activity and depression among Koreans aged 45 years or more.

Data came from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) (2006–2010), with 5,327 participants aged 45 years or more. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) with the logit link was used to investigate an association between a change in social activity during 2006–2008 (or 2008–2010) and depression among respondents in year 2008 (or Y2010). Depression was measured by Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D10) and a change in social activity was classified with four categories, i.e. “consistent participation”, “consistent non-participation”, “participation to non-participation”, and “non-participation to participation”. Social activity was divided into various elements and the same analysis was conducted for each of these elements.

Those with consistent non-participation and from participation to non-participation were more likely to be depressed than those with consistent participation and from non-participation to participation in social activities (OR 1.44 [95% CI 1.22–1.71], OR 1.35 [95% CI 1.15–1.58] vs. OR 1.00 [Reference], OR 1.27 [95% CI 1.09–1.48]). In addition, the strength of the negative association between consistent or new participation in social activity and depression was different across different elements of social activity. The negative association was particularly strong for leisure, culture or sports clubs, and for family or school reunion.

For improving the mental health of the population aged 45 years or more, the promotion of their continued or new participations in leisure/culture clubs and family/school reunion might be needed in South Korea.