Munenaga Koda

Longitudinal Predictions of the Brooding and Reflection Subscales of the Japanese Ruminative Responses Scale for Depression

The Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) is a measure of depressive rumination which has two subscales: Brooding and Reflection. This article examines the longitudinal predictions for depression and the test-retest reliability of the Brooding and Reflection of the Japanese RRS. Japanese university students (N = 378) completed the RRS, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Inventory to Diagnose Depression, Lifetime Version (IDDL) which was modified to assess symptoms experienced in the 8-wk. follow-up period. The standardized betas of the initial Brooding and Reflection subscales for the IDDL scores were significant and positive after controlling for baseline CES-D scores, but those for the CES-D scores at Time 2 were not significant. Longitudinal predictions of Brooding were partially consistent with those of other language versions (significant in almost all studies); however, longitudinal predictions of Reflection were not consistent with those of other language versions (negative in previous studies). The test-retest correlations of both subscales were similar to those obtained in Western countries.

Depressive Rumination and Past Depression in Japanese University Students: Comparison of Brooding and Reflection:

The Ruminative Responses Scale, a measure of depressive rumination, contains two subscales: Brooding and Reflection. Treynor, Gonzalez, and Nolen-Hoeksema (2003) proposed that Brooding is maladaptive and Reflection is adaptive. This article examined the relationships among Brooding, Reflection, and previous depression in two samples of Japanese undergraduates, who were non-depressed at the time of their participation. Based on answers to a self-report measure, participants were divided into a formerly depressed group, who had experienced an episode that met the criteria for major depression, and a never-depressed group. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with Brooding, Reflection, and current depression as the independent variables and past depression as the dependent variable. Brooding had consistent positive associations with past depression. The relationship between Reflection and past depression was not significant for one sample, but was statistically significant and positive in the second sample. In the second sample, Brooding and Reflection both were related with past depression after controlling for worry.

Differences in personality traits between male-to-female and female-to-male gender identity disorder subjects

The present study aimed to investigate differences in personality traits among male-to-female (MtF), female-to-male (FtM) gender identity disorder (GID) subjects and non-transsexual male (M) and female (F) controls. Subjects were 72 MtF and 187 FtM GID subjects without psychiatric comorbidities together with 184 male and 159 female non-transsexual controls. Personality traits were assessed using a short version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125). Group comparisons were made by two-way ANOVA. Statistical significances were observed as follows: 1) lower novelty seeking in FtM than in M or MtF, 2) higher reward dependence in FtM than in M, 3) higher cooperativeness in FtM than in M or MtF, 4) the highest self-transcendence in MtF among all the groups. The highest self-transcendence in MtF subjects may reflect their vulnerable identity and constrained adaptation to society as the minority. Nevertheless, higher reward dependence and cooperativeness in FtM subjects can be related to more determined motivation for the treatments of GID and might promise better social functioning and adjustment than MtF subjects.

Usefulness of an educational lecture focusing on improvement in public awareness of and attitudes toward depression and its treatments

BackgroundThere is an urgent need to establish effective strategies for suicide prevention. Stigma against depression may be a potential anti-protective factor for suicide. Thus, we investigated baseline levels of awareness and attitudes toward depression and its treatment among the general population by our original 18-item questionnaire, which we aimed to validate in the present study. Next, we conducted two types of educational interventions and examined the results to clarify the difference in the quality of these lectures.MethodsSubjects were 834 citizens (245 males and 589 females) who received an anti-stigma-targeted (n = 467) or non-targeted lecture (n = 367). An 18-item questionnaire assessing levels of awareness and attitudes toward depression and its treatments was administered to each participant before and after the lecture. A chi-square test was used to investigate categorical variables for background data on the participants. Factor analysis of baseline scores was conducted on the 18 questionnaire items. Student’s t-test was used for analysis of the gender effect. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for comparison among the 5 age groups and comparison of the effect of the two lectures. Multiple regression analysis was applied to examine the determinants of improved attitudes after intervention.ResultsPublic attitudes toward depression consisted of 4 distinct elements, which were disease-model attitudes, help-seeking behavior, negative affect toward depression, and non-medication solutions. Older participants had poorer disease-model attitudes and more negative affect toward depression, whereas younger participants showed poorer help-seeking behavior (p < 0.05). The anti-stigma-targeted lecture was superior to the non-targeted lecture in improving disease-model attitudes and non-medication solutions (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses revealed that each subscale score at post-lecture was strongly dependent on its own baseline subscale score (p < 0.01), and that baseline disease-model attitudes also affected post-lecture scores on negative affect toward depression and non-medication solutions (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe educational intervention appears useful for acquiring accurate attitudes toward depression in a medical model. However, other strategies should be considered to enhance help-seeking behavior, especially in younger people.