The effectiveness of a web-based intervention for Japanese adults with problem drinking: An online randomized controlled trial.

Aims: This study aimed (1) to delineate how a web-based intervention affects the problem drinking behaviors of Japanese adults and (2) to examine the moderating effects of disorder levels and alcohol outcome expectancies on intervention outcomes.

Methods: We implemented an online two-armed parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 546 Japanese adults. Adults aged 20 years or older and who scored eight or higher on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were included in this study.

Cyber bullying victimization and adolescent mental health: The differential moderating effects of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional competence.

Introduction: Individuals who experience bullying victimization are at increased risk for future health and social problems. Despite this, studies show that not all bullying victims are in ill health, suggesting the importance of investigating protective factors that could counteract the adverse effects. The present study focused on investigating the moderating effects of emotional competence (EC) in the relationship between cyber-bullying victimization (CV) and mental health among adolescents.

An Embodied Conversational Agent for Unguided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Preventative Mental Health: Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Trial.

Background: Recent years have seen an increase in the use of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy in the area of mental health. Although lower effectiveness and higher dropout rates of unguided than those of guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy remain critical issues, not incurring ongoing human clinical resources makes it highly advantageous.

Objective: Current research in psychotherapy, which acknowledges the importance of therapeutic alliance, aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability, in terms of mental health, of an application that is embodied with a conversational agent.

Increased sensitivity to sad faces in depressive symptomatology: A longitudinal study.

Background: Negative bias to sad emotional stimuli has repeatedly been identified as a cognitive feature of major depressive disorder, particularly in facial expression recognition. However, it is unknown how negative bias applies to facial expression recognition in individuals with depressive symptoms.

Methods: A total of 58 university students' facial expression recognition and depression scores were measured using facial stimuli displaying the whole face, with 39 participants completing a 3-month follow-up assessment of depressive symptoms.

The Efficacy of a Web-Based Screening and Brief Intervention for Reducing Alcohol Consumption Among Japanese Problem Drinkers: Protocol for a Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The literature shows that computer-delivered interventions with personalized normative feedback can reduce problem drinking for up to 6 months in the West. Meanwhile, no studies have been conducted to examine the effects of such interventions among Japanese problem drinkers. Possible moderators associated with effectiveness of the intervention need to be also explored.

Standalone Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Using a Mobile Phone App on Psychological Distress and Alcohol Consumption Among Japanese Workers: Pilot Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Research that investigates standalone effects of a mobile phone-based cognitive behavioral therapy without any human contact for reducing both psychological distress and risky drinking has been advancing; however, the number of studies is still limited. A mobile phone app called Self Record that facilitates cognitive restructuring through self-monitoring of daily thoughts and activities was developed in Japan.

Objective: This study conducted a nonrandomized controlled pilot trial of the Self Record app to investigate standalone effects of the intervention on psychological distress and alcohol consumption among Japanese workers.

Designing behavioral self-regulation application for preventive personal mental healthcare.

Most of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy targeted restoration and few have targeted primary prevention. The purpose of this study is to obtain the knowledge for further development on preventive mental healthcare application. We developed a personal mental healthcare application which aimed to give users the chance to manage their mental health by self-monitoring and regulating their behavior.