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Social Activities Lower the Likelihood of Geriatric Depression to 1/4 of Previous Levels
Korea University Hospital Professor Kyu-Man Han and his team studied the relationship between social activities and depressive symptoms in seniors
The more types and higher the frequency of activities, the lower the risk of depression
As the social distancing level in the metropolitan area has been heightened, the challenges presented by COVID-19 have been prolonged. While seniors participate in fewer social activities, one study found that social activities can reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in seniors.
The team, led by Professor Kyu-Man Han of the department of psychiatry at Korea University College of Medicine, who was joined be Professor Eun-soo Choi of the department of psychology, studied 4,751 Korean seniors aged 60 and over to analyze the correlation between social activities and the prevalence of depressive symptoms. They found that more various and more frequent social activities led to reduced risk of depression in these individuals.
As part of their study, Professor Han and his team analyzed the Korean Retirement and Income Study from both 2017 and 2018. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted regarding social gatherings of seniors, such as friendship gatherings, societies, school reunions, and sport clubs, as well as on participation in social activities, such as voluntary services, regular donations, and economic activities. The Korean version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess symptoms of depression.
The study results clearly indicate that taking part in social activities reduces the risk of depression in seniors. Seniors who participated in at least one social activity were just 0.6 times as likely to experience depression compared to those who did not participate in social activities. The level of depression risk was reduced to 0.6 for those joining friendship gatherings, to 0.42 for those taking part in voluntary services, and to 0.56 when donating regularly. Seniors who took part in at least three social activities showed only 1/4 the amount of risk (0.28) and those who volunteered at least once in two weeks showed as low as 1/5 the amount of risk (0.19).
Economic activities, on the other hand, did not show a significant correlation with depressive symptoms, and the correlation between social activities and depressive symptoms varies considerably between genders. The protective effects of social activities against depression were greater in senior women. In the case of friendship gatherings, risk of depression in elderly women was lowered to 0.51 times normal levels, but such gatherings did not result in statistically meaningful results in elderly men.
Through a mediation analysis, the research team found that emotional support works as an important mediator in correlation between social activities and depressive symptoms. This implies that, through social activities, seniors meet with others who share similar interests and social values and receive emotional and social support from one another during the process. This, in turn, protects seniors from experiencing depressive symptoms.
Professor Han’s team connected the study results with the current situation and explained that, as COVID-19 has resulted in reduced contact between people, social activities have subsided, and this may lead to a deterioration of mental health in seniors. Furthermore, while the younger generation can use social media as an alternative form of interaction in the contactless society, the older generation has less access to social media. The fact that the fatality rate of COVID-19 is higher among seniors also withers seniors’ participation in social activities.
Professor Han introduced the research as “a study that identified the fact that seniors’ social activities lead to increased emotional and social support from others and consequently reduce the risk of depression.” He also said, “The study clearly shows that social activities can help lower the risk of the occurrence of depression among seniors.”
Professor Han added, “From a mental health policy perspective, it is necessary to provide a variety of social welfare services to promote social activities among seniors. COVID-19 has made it difficult to socially interact and stay in contact. Frequent and simple phone calls to inquire after family and friends can help them maintain sound mental health.”
Meanwhile, the results of the study were published under the title “Social Participation and Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Emotional Social Support as a Mediator” on the latest online version of the Journal of Psychiatric Research, the SSCI-level international journal.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33168196/
KU College of Medicine Successfully Completes the 3rd KU-UCI Joint Symposium
Between December 2nd and 5th, 2020, Korea University College of Medicine successfully hosted a four-day joint symposium with the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine (UCI School of Medicine).
The joint symposium, which marked its third anniversary this year, is hosted by one of the two universities in turn every year based on the friendly relationship between the two schools. Professors of the two universities share the latest knowledge and their experiences regarding rising topics in the medical community and take the symposium as an opportunity to further facilitate scholarship and research exchanges.
This year’s symposium took place online to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and over 500 professors from both sides joined in. Under the theme “Medical Research and Education in the Era of COVID-19,” professors exchanged research trends and expertise on four specific topics: public health, clinical practice, translational research, and education.
Presentations were followed by in-depth discussions per division, which were even more intensive. Graduate students and faculty, as well as speakers, actively participated in discussions to seek continuous cooperative research methods from various angles.
Dean Young-wook Yoon of the College of Medicine stated, “Despite the current challenges we are delighted to hold the 3rd KU-UCI Joint Symposium with the UCI School of Medicine, with which KU has long cherished a friendship. It is believed that this year’s event is more meaningful, as it was not a simple scholarship symposium, but rather an opportunity to lay the groundwork for continuous exchanges with the erudite scholars of the UCI School of Medicine.” The dean went on to say, “We would like to thank the speakers who readily consented to make presentations despite their busy schedules as well as all other participants. We hope that the symposium will prime the pump for collaboration between our two universities who will lead the future of medicine and present new directions.”
Korea University Ansan Hospital Research Team Led by Professors Ki-Sun Lee, Won Suk Choi, and Ki Yeol Lee Developed Deep Learning-based Algorithm that Assists COVID-19 Diagnosis based on Chest X-ray
<(From Left) Professor Ki-Sun Lee of Medical Science Research Center,Won Suk Choi Professor of Department of Infectious Diseases, and Professor Ki Yeol Lee of Department of Radiology>
A Korea University Ansan Hospital research team led by professor Ki-Sun Lee of the Precision Medicine Center (headed by Nan Hee Kim) also serving as a professor of dentistry at the Medical Science Research Center, Won Suk Choi (Department of Infectious Diseases), and Ki Yeol Lee (Department of Radiology) came up with an algorithm that would help diagnose COVID-19 using a technology based on deep learning combined with chest X-ray.
The deep learning-based algorithm developed by the research team can assess the chest X-ray to classify its finding into three categories: normal, pneumonia and COVID-19. Taking advantage of explainable deep learning, this algorithm is able to distinguish COVID-19-driven pneumonia from the pneumonia resulting from other causes to demonstrate differentiation accuracy as high as 95%.
<Deep learning-based decision map for healthy lung, lung with pneumonia or COVID-19>
The multi-disciplinary research team consists of professor Ki-Sun Lee of the KU Ansan Hospital Precision Medicine Center, professor Jae Young Kim and researcher Eun-tae Jeon of the Medical Science Research Center, professor Won Suk Choi of the Department of Infectious Diseases, and professor Ki Yeol Lee of the Department of Radiology. The study is published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine, one of the top 10% journal in the field of JCR Health Care Sciences (LNIK:https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm10040213).
The first author of the paper, professor Ki-Sun Lee who developed the artificial intelligence program said, "There are many other researches already done by medical AI companies or other organizations on the development of chest X-ray-based algorithms to help better diagnose COVID-19. This means that our KU Ansan Hospital is not the pioneer for this. However, we have made our basic research data open to others, which can help improve the accuracy of deep learning and identify the reason for any possible classification errors. So we hope that our study could be of help to other researches which are to be launched or currently under way."
Professor Lee is a former software developer at Samsung SDS and dentist. Early this year, he developed an osteoporosis screening algorithm based on deep learning using dental X-ray.
Professor Ki-Sun Lee also said that the study team plans to further improve the algorithm and collaborate with other countries or medical organizations which do not have enough radiologists or medical resources so that they can take the full advantage of it in practical use.
The research was done with the support from Ansan Hospital and National Research Foundation of Korea's Basic Research in Science & Engineering.
The 3rd Korea University International Medical Student Research Conference
On December 22, 2020, Korea University College of Medicine (KUCM) successfully held the third Korea University International Medical Student Research Conference.
KUCM offers various programs in an attempt to help its students better prepared for the rapid changes in the medical environment with the fourth industrial revolution under way. Student-led research activities are part of such schemes launched in 2010 in an effort to expose students to medical researches so that they can grow into motivated researchers.
With the support of the designated professors, students are encouraged to be engaged in various research activities for one year and the conference held in November offer them a chance to share the outcome of their studies. KUCM has expanded the event to invite participants from abroad and began in 2018 to host the Korea University International Medical Student Research Conference, the first of its kind in Korea. Consisting of 22 research teams of 49 students, the 12th student research organization was launched in December 2019.
The year 2020 saw its conference held on-line due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it was attended by more than 150 medical students and professors of different countries. The event was preceded by registration and poster presentation. On the date of the event, an opening speech was delivered by Young-Wook Yoon, dean of College of Medicine, which was followed by a keynote lecture by professor Gou Young Koh of the KAIST Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Center for Vascular Research. Conference also had three-minute speech sessions, and oral presentations made by students from home (KUCM) and abroad. And then, there came the session to present rewards and all the event came to close with a closing remark.
KUCM contributed to the event by offering 22 poster presentations and 11 three-minute speeches. From abroad, six teams consisting of 12 students from the University of Munich, Nagoya University, Sapporo University, National University of Singapore, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and University of Bologna joined the event.
A freshman of KUCM who participated in the event for the first time said, “It is exciting that they conducted researches on such various themes. It definitely inspired me. It was also very meaningful in that we could meet and discuss with students of other countries. Such chances are very rare and valuable. I now plan to design and develop a research project of my own. I'd love to join the event next year again and win a prize too.”
Young-Wook Yoon, dean of KUCM said, “I am very happy to see the outcome of such promising researches, which are sure to develop further in the future. This conference offers a valuable chance for participants to share their ideas and it is sure to add value to their career path. I want to thank the students and professors for taking time out of their busy schedule to be engaged in researches and hope that the students grow into good medical scientists.”
