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

The Effect of a Blue Light Filtering Intraocular Lens on Macular Edema

This study sought to compare the effects of either a blue light-filtering intraocular lens (blue-filtering IOL) or an ultraviolet light-filtering intraocular lens (UV-filtering IOL) on the incidence of angiographic macular edema (ME) 3 and 12 months after implantation. A prospective randomized parallel clinical study was performed at Showa University Hospital. Forty-five cataract patients randomly received either a blue-filtering IOL (n = 21) or a UV-filtering IOL (n = 24), and macular leakage was evaluated by fluorescence angiography. At 3 months, ME was 24% in the blue- and 25% in the UV-filtering IOL group. At 12 months, ME was 5% in the blue- and 21% in the UV-filtering IOL group. The recovery rate in the blue-filtering IOL group was higher than in the UV-filtering IOL group at 12 months after surgery (P = 0.0457). These results suggested that an implanted blue-filtering IOL is more effective for recovery of ME than a UV-filtering IOL