Challenges to Establishing Partnerships in Peer Support Activities for Individuals with Mental Disorders

This study aimed to clarify the current state of and issues related to establishing partnerships in peer support activities for individuals with mental disorders. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among participants of a meeting for peer supporters of individuals with mental disorders. The following aspects were assessed: participant characteristics, motivations and difficulties of engaging in such services, and various other challenges. Free response content in the questionnaire was analyzed with qualitative and inductive methods. Our findings highlight the need to create an appropriate environment for peer supporters to share their recovery experiences in order to assist the formation of relationships with individuals with mental disorders through peer support services

チュウコウセイ ガ モトメル リソウ ノ キョウシゾウ キョウショク ジッセン エンシュウ カリキュラム カイハツ ノ タメ ニ

研究助成による研究報

Effectiveness of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based anxiety prevention programme at an elementary school in Japan: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract Background The efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety related problems in children is empirically supported. In addition, universal anxiety prevention programmes based on CBT have been demonstrated in recent years. The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of a CBT based original programme ‘Journey of the Brave,’ aiming to prevent anxiety disorders and anxiety-related problems for Japanese children aged 10–12 years old. Methods Intervention groups from two classes of 5th grade elementary students (n = 41) received ten 45-min programme sessions. The control group was drawn from one class of 5th grade children (n = 31) from a nearby school. All participants completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) at pre, post, and 3 months follow-up. Mixed-effects model for repeated measures analysis was conducted. Results The mean anxiety score on the SCAS for the intervention group was significantly reduced at both post intervention and 3 months follow-up compared with the control group. The group differences on the SCAS from baseline to post-test were − 5.321 (95% CI − 10.12 to − 0.523, p = 0.030), and at the 3-month follow-up were − 7.104 (95% CI − 11.90 to − 2.306, p = 0.004). Conclusions The effectiveness of the anxiety prevention programme ‘Journey of the Brave’ was verified though this study using a quasi-experimental design on a small sample. Trial registration: UMIN00000902