The design of a career transition psychological support program for retired Olympic athletes in Japan

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of an intervention program focused on career transition psychological support for retired Olympic athletes in Japan. It was expected that the intervention program would significantly enhance knowledge about career transition support for athletes and also enhance attitudes towards seeking career transition support. 24 retired Japanese female athletes who had competed in the Olympics between 1996 and 2016 participated in the study. The content of the support program was delivered in a three-part workshop, focusing on career transitions in sport, post-retriement psychological adjustment difficulties, and coping strategies. Pre-workshop and post-workshop assessment were conducted. Career transition support knowledge for athletes and attitudes about seeking career transition support significantly increased. The current results suggest that increasing knowledge helps retired and retiring athletes seek professional help. Practical applications and future research recommendations are provided

学校で実施するメンタルヘルスリテラシー教育プログラムの開発に関する研究

学位の種別: 課程博士審査委員会委員 : （主査）東京大学教授 佐々木 司, 東京大学准教授 東郷 史治, 東京大学准教授 森田 賢治, 東京大学教授 遠藤 利彦, 東京大学教授 上別府 圭子University of Tokyo(東京大学

Development of a Mental Health Literacy Program for Secondary School Students and Its Effects: In-school Mental Health Literacy Education

Objective: Adolescence is the period when the onset of mental illnesses becomes frequent. Providing adolescents with education about mental illnesses and how they are treated may help adolescents recognize any mental difficulties they may be suffering and promote appropriate help. In Japan, however, few mental health education programs have been developed for adolescents and limited studies have investigated their effects. In the present study, we developed a concise, school-staff led mental health literacy (MHL) education program for secondary school students and examined its effect.Method: The program was given by a full-time school teacher. The objective of the program was to provide students with an opportunity to learn the symptoms of mental illnesses, to understand common mental disorders in adolescents and to encourage them to seek appropriate help if they are suffering from mental difficulties. The evaluations were conducted before and immediately after the program, using a self-report questionnaire. The participants comprised 118 grade-9 and 120 grade-11 Japanese students.Results: A significant effect was observed on knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatment. Attitudes to seeking help and assisting peers also improved after the program. Conclusion: These findings suggest that concise, school teacher led program might help improve mental health literacy in adolescents.【2014年度若手研究者育成プロジェクト（Young Scholars Training Program）Joint International Symposium with Stockholm University “Education in the Era of Globalization”】プロジェクト採択者ワーキングペーパー（高度化センターHP に掲載のものを再掲

Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in Japan Rugby Top League Players

Clinical and research interest is growing in mental health support for elite athletes, based on findings from epidemiological surveys conducted in Australia, the United States, and European countries. However, little is known about the mental health status of elite athletes in Asia, including Japan. In the current study, we examine the prevalence of mental health problems and suicidal ideation and its risk factors in Japan Rugby Top League players. We analyze anonymous web-based self-reported data from 251 currently competing Japan Rugby Top League male players. During the off-season from December 2019 to January 2020, data on anxiety and depression symptoms were collected using the Japanese version of the 6-item Kessler-6. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Baron Depression Screener for Athletes. Among the players, 81 players (32.3%) had experienced symptoms of mild anxiety and depression during the previous 30 days, while 12 (4.8%) and 13 (5.2%) had suffered from moderate and severe symptoms, respectively. Nineteen athletes (7.6%) reported that they had experienced suicidal ideation during the previous 2 weeks. Players with mental health problems experienced more events in competitions and daily life, including reduced subjective performance, missing opportunities to play during the last season, changes in health condition, and thinking about a career after retirement, compared with players without such problems. Mental health issues in Japan Rugby Top League players, as elite athletes, may be common, and research and practice development is expected in the near future

Development of a Mental Health Literacy Program for Secondary School Students and Its Effects: In-school Mental Health Literacy Education

Objective: Adolescence is the period when the onset of mental illnesses becomes frequent. Providing adolescents with education about mental illnesses and how they are treated may help adolescents recognize any mental difficulties they may be suffering and promote appropriate help. In Japan, however, few mental health education programs have been developed for adolescents and limited studies have investigated their effects. In the present study, we developed a concise, school-staff led mental health literacy (MHL) education program for secondary school students and examined its effect.Method: The program was given by a full-time school teacher. The objective of the program was to provide students with an opportunity to learn the symptoms of mental illnesses, to understand common mental disorders in adolescents and to encourage them to seek appropriate help if they are suffering from mental difficulties. The evaluations were conducted before and immediately after the program, using a self-report questionnaire. The participants comprised 118 grade-9 and 120 grade-11 Japanese students.Results: A significant effect was observed on knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatment. Attitudes to seeking help and assisting peers also improved after the program. Conclusion: These findings suggest that concise, school teacher led program might help improve mental health literacy in adolescents.【2014年度若手研究者育成プロジェクト（Young Scholars Training Program）Joint International Symposium with Stockholm University “Education in the Era of Globalization”】プロジェクト採択者ワーキングペーパー（高度化センターHP に掲載のものを再掲

Effect of Name Change of Schizophrenia on Mass Media Between 1985 and 2013 in Japan : A Text Data Mining Analysis

Background: Mass media such as newspapers and TV news affect mental health-related stigma. In Japan, the name of schizophrenia was changed in 2002 for the purposes of stigma reduction; however, little has been known about the effect of name change of schizophrenia on mass media. Method: Articles including old and new names of schizophrenia, depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus (DM) in headlines and/or text were extracted from 23169092 articles in 4 major Japanese newspapers and 1 TV news program (1985–2013). The trajectory of the number of articles including each term was determined across years. Then, all text in news headlines was segmented as per part-of-speech level using text data mining. Segmented words were classified into 6 categories and in each category of extracted words by target term and period were also tested. Results: Total 51789 and 1106 articles including target terms in newspaper articles and TV news segments were obtained, respectively. The number of articles including the target terms increased across years. Relative increase was observed in the articles published on schizophrenia since 2003 compared with those on DM and between 2000 and 2005 compared with those on depressive disorder. Word tendency used in headlines was equivalent before and after 2002 for the articles including each target term. Articles for schizophrenia contained more negative words than depressive disorder and DM (31.5%, 16.0%, and 8.2%, respectively). Conclusions: Name change of schizophrenia had a limited effect on the articles published and little effect on its contents.UTokyo Research掲載「統合失調症の病名変更が新聞報道に与えた影響」 URI: http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/utokyo-research/research-news/effect-of-name-change-of-schizophrenia-on-mass-media.htmlUTokyo Research "Effect of name change of schizophrenia on mass media" URI: http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utokyo-research/research-news/effect-of-name-change-of-schizophrenia-on-mass-media.htm

The recognition and expectations of ex-inpatients of mental health services: A web-based questionnaire survey in Japan.

Concern about mental health issues and the treatment of mentally disordered offenders attracts considerable public attention. This study aimed to gather the experiences and opinions of people who have experienced admission to a psychiatric ward in order to grasp their reaction to, and understanding of, the legislation behind the involuntary admission of psychiatric patients. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted with a total of 379 participants, using a cross-sectional, exploratory design. The data were analyzed using a chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, and a logistic regression analysis. According to the results, many patients were satisfied with their treatment during psychiatric admission; however, only few participants said that they had been given an adequate explanation for their involuntary treatment. Most participants expected qualified assistance after discharge, although the prospect of a regular visit from an official was not entirely supported by the participants. Patient satisfaction was relevant to the discussion of their needs after discharge and in developing a crisis plan during admission. These findings suggest that psychiatric patients accept inpatient treatment as long as they receive an adequate explanation. More qualified care such as relapse prevention would be expected to lead to better satisfaction. For them to welcome regular visits from an official, patients may need more information and discussion