How do social networks, perception of social isolation, and loneliness affect depressive symptoms among Japanese adults?

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the complex relationship among social isolation, loneliness, and perception of social isolation and its influence on depressive symptoms by evaluating a hypothetical model. This understanding is essential for the formulation of effective intervention strategies.

Methods: We conducted an online survey on Japanese adults (N = 3,315) and used the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale to assess the size of their social networks.

Proposed Cut-Off Score for the Japanese Version of the Fear of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Scale (FCV-19S): Evidence from a Large-Scale National Survey in Japan.

The Fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Scale (FCV-19S) is a seven-item self-administered psychological scale for measuring the fear of this disease. The scale has been widely adapted and validated worldwide. This study aimed to propose a cut-off score for the validated Japanese version of the FCV-19S.

A Comparison of Mental Health among Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Power Plant Accident Survivors in the Long Term after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Even now, ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), thousands of residents of Fukushima Prefecture are still living as evacuees. To understand the mental health states and needs for psychological care of the survivors, we conducted a questionnaire survey of survivors who were evacuated from Fukushima to Ibaraki due to the nuclear power plant accident and of the residents of two areas in Ibaraki where damage was particularly severe due to the tsunami or liquefaction. Our results show that stress related to participants' hometowns and to the disaster was a risk factor for depression and post-traumatic stress among the survivors in the medium to long term in all regions examined.

Factors associated with short and long sleep duration in older adults: Analysis of a national survey in Japan.

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the association between sleep duration and various physical and psychosocial factors among older Japanese adults.

Methods: Data from 295 367 households were obtained from the 2013 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan, a self-administered questionnaire survey. We restricted our analyses to 115 205 participants who responded to all the items required for this study.

The Mental Health of Long-Term Evacuees outside Fukushima Prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, thousands of residents of Fukushima Prefecture were still living as evacuees. Among them, unignorable numbers of people were living outside of the prefecture. A survey was conducted with evacuees to Ibaraki, the neighboring prefecture of Fukushima, to investigate their medium- to long-term mental care needs.

Confirming validity of The Fear of COVID-19 Scale in Japanese with a nationwide large-scale sample.

Assessing fear and anxiety regarding COVID-19 viral infection is essential for investigating mental health during this epidemic. We have developed and validated a Japanese-language version of The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) based on a large, nationwide residential sample (n = 6,750) recruited through news and social media responding to an online version of the questionnaire. Data was collected from August 4-25, 2020.

Factors associated with high-risk drinking in older adults: Evidence from a national survey in Japan.

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the association between high-risk drinking and health outcomes (e.g. physical and psychosocial factors, including help-seeking behavior) among older Japanese adults.

Post-flood social support networks and morbidity in Jôsô City, Japan.

Social support networks are considered beneficial for post-disaster survivor mental health. However, there are family and non-family networks, and support can be received or provided. Therefore, their complex contribution to wellbeing requires analysis.

What kinds of factors affect the academic outcomes of university students with mental disorders? A retrospective study based on medical records.

Aims: University students that suffer from mental disorders seem to have difficulty graduating. Therefore, we investigated risk and protective factors of dropping out with the aim of improving such students' academic outcomes.

Methods: First, we statistically compared the academic outcomes of 203 undergraduate students who received treatment in the Department of Psychiatry of the Tsukuba University Health Center to those of matched controls.

Changes in social capital and depressive states of middle-aged adults in Japan.

The present study examines the relationships between changes in bonding and bridging types of social capital and depressive states among middle-aged adults in Japan using a nationally representative sample. Data was collected from a nationwide, population-based survey conducted from 2005 to 2013 in nine annual waves. A total of 16,737 middle-aged men and 17,768 middle-aged women provided data.

[Development of social capital scale from a national longitudinal survey and examination of its validity and reliability].

Objectives　Social capital consists of two subordinate concepts; first one is structural formal, structural informal, or cognitive and second one is bonding or bridging. This study was designed to develop a social capital scale using samples from a national longitudinal survey and evaluate the validity and test-retest reliability of the scale.Methods　Data were collected from a nationwide panel survey, the "Longitudinal Survey of Middle-aged and Elderly Persons.

Standardization of Brief Inventory of Social Support Exchange Network (BISSEN) in Japan.

This study describes the Brief Inventory of Social Support Exchange Network (BISSEN) as a standardized brief inventory measuring various aspects of social support. We confirmed the reliability and validity for function and direction of support and standardized the BISSEN. For Sample 1, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 5200 residents in Japan.

Relation between social network and psychological distress among middle-aged adults in Japan: Evidence from a national longitudinal survey.

It is widely documented that psychological distress is negatively associated with social networks involvement. However, despite the theoretical postulations that social networks are crucial for alleviating psychological distress, no study has yet empirically confirmed the causality of this relationship. Thus, we used the random-effects generalized least squares method to investigate the effect of one- and two-year lagged values for involvement in social networks on psychological distress.

A comparative analysis of dementia inpatient characteristics: results from a nationwide survey of different care facilities in Japan.

Background: In Japan, the number of dementia patients admitted to hospitals and other care facilities has been increasing and their hospital stays prolonged. Until now, there has been no study examining the differences between patients in psychiatric hospitals and other care facilities. Here we attempt a comparative analysis of characteristics of dementia patients in psychiatric hospitals and other types of facilities based on a nationwide survey.