Takashi Izutsu

Mental Health Promotion

Mental health is a set of positive attributes intrinsic to the health of individuals and communities. Poor mental health is associated with relative social disadvantage in whole populations and vulnerable subgroups. Adverse conditions such as poverty, discrimination, and violence have a powerful influence on mental health in high- and low-income countries. Conversely, mental health is linked with human, social, and economic development. Mental health promotion is integral to the new public health and health promotion. Evidence is available on the effectiveness of public health and social interventions for enhancing the mental health of populations in locally devised and culturally appropriate ways.

Reliability and validity of the Bangla version of WHOQOL-BREF in an adult population in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Bangla version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL‐BREF) in an adult population in Bangladesh. Approximately 200 adults in the Dhaka district were interviewed using a questionnaire containing the Bangla version of the WHOQOL‐BREF, as well as questions related to sociodemographic data. To assess the reliability of WHOQOL‐BREF, Cronbach’s α was calculated, and test–retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the first and second administrations. For comparison, approximately 200 leprosy patients were also interviewed with the questionnaire to examine the discriminant validity between groups. On the whole, sufficient validity was observed, and the Bangla version of the WHOQOL‐BREF was deemed to be valid and reliable in assessing the quality of life of an adult population in Bangladesh.

Persistent distress after psychological exposure to the Nagasaki atomic bomb explosion

BACKGROUND Although there is speculation that individuals living in the vicinity of nuclear disasters have persistent mental health deterioration due to psychological stress, few attempts have been made to examine this issue. AIMS To determine whether having been in the vicinity of the Nagasaki atomic bomb explosion in the absence of substantial exposure to radiation affected the mental health of local inhabitants more than half a century later. METHOD Participants were randomly recruited from individuals who lived in the vicinity of the atomic bomb explosion in uncontaminated suburbs of Nagasaki. This sample (n = 347) was stratified by gender, age, perception of the explosion and current district of residence. Controls (n = 288) were recruited from among individuals who had moved into the area from outside Nagasaki 5-15 years after the bombing, matched for gender, age and district of residence. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of those at high risk of mental disorder based on the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire, with a cut-off point of 5/6. Other parameters related to individual perception of the explosion, health status, life events and habits were also assessed. RESULTS Having been in the vicinity of the explosion was the most significant factor (OR = 5.26, 95% CI 2.56-11.11) contributing to poorer mental health; erroneous knowledge of radiological hazard showed a mild association. In the sample group, anxiety after learning of the potential radiological hazard was significantly correlated with poor mental health (P<0.05), whereas anxiety about the explosion, or the degree of perception of it, was not; 74.5% of the sample group believed erroneously that the flash of the explosion was synonymous with radiation. CONCLUSIONS Having been in the vicinity of the atomic bomb explosion without radiological exposure continued to be associated with poorer mental health more than half a century after the event. Fear on learning about the potential radiological hazard and lack of knowledge about radiological risk are responsible for this association.

Mental health and wellbeing in the Sustainable Development Goals

This paper is about how sustainable development cannot be achieved without the inclusion of mental health as a key global priority. Until recently the international community had not mobilised the necessary attention, efforts, and resources for people with mental illness and disability, despite the knowledge that the economic cost of mental disorders is more than 4% of GDP worldwide, depression is a leading cause of disability, and more than 800 000 deaths by suicide occur every year, many of which are preventable.

Comparative study of the prevalence of suicidal behavior and sexual abuse history in delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents

The present study examined the prevalence of suicidal behavior and sexual abuse history in delinquent and non‐delinquent adolescents aged 15–17 years. Results showed that delinquent adolescents, particularly girls, more frequently reported histories of suicidal behavior and sexual abuse than non‐delinquent adolescents.

Comprehensive SDG goal and targets for non-communicable diseases and mental health.

The negotiations on the SDG goals and targets, leading to the sustainable development Declaration in September 2015, are now in the final stages. Ensuring that people with mental disorders are not left behind in the global development program from 2015 to 2030 will require specific and explicit commitments and targets against which progress in mental health can be measured and reported. The arguments for inclusion of explicit mental health targets in the SDGs are compelling. The final negotiations on the SDG goals and targets will now determine whether people with mental illness and psychosocial disabilities will continue to be neglected or will benefit equitably from inclusion in the post-2015 development program.

Mental health mainstreamed in new UN disaster framework

The Nepal earthquake of April, 2015, is a tragic reminder of the physical devastation, loss of life, and effects on mental wellbeing that are more likely to occur when effective strategies for disaster risk reduction have not been implemented sufficiently. It also serves as a stark reminder of the fact that it is people with disabilities who are hit hardest when disaster strikes.

Asia-pacific ready to act on mental health target in the SDGs

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The Relationship Between Past Traumatic Experience and Sickness Absence

Background: Past traumatic experiences have been reported to lower stress tolerance, thereby increasing job strain. However, the relationship between past traumatic experiences and employee sickness absence is poorly understood. Aims: This study explores the relationship between sickness absence and past traumatic experience with regard to the amount of time lapsed after the experience, job strain and other mental health states such as depression and anxiety. Methods: A total of 3238 workers were assessed for levels of traumatic stress, depressive status, anxiety and job stress. Results: Odds ratios of the presence of traumatic experiences to sickness absence, adjusted for sex, age and depressive and anxiety states, were presented according to the length of time that had passed since the traumatic events. The odds ratio in the 0—1 Years Group was 1.75 (p < 0.05), and the odds ratio for the 19+ Years Group was 1.46 (p < 0.1). Conclusions: Past traumatic events are related to sickness absence. Sickness absence resulting from a past traumatic experience is important with respect to industrial health.

Long-term influence of working abroad on returneesí mental health:

Although international business travel is increasing, there is a lack of research on its repercussions for mental health. This study analysed the long-term influence of international business travel on the mental health status by comparing depression, anxiety and job stress between workers with and without international assignment experience. The subjects were divided into an ëexperienced groupí composed of 70 male workers who had experienced an overseas assignment of at least six months, and a ënon-experienced groupí consisting of 2,163 male workers who had not. To assess the mental health status, Zungís Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Sheehanís Patient Rated Anxiety Scale (Sheehan) were employed. The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) was used to examine job stress. In addition, information about the characteristics of the overseas assignments was collected. The experienced group had significantly higher scores for job control, supervisor support and coworker support in the JCQ, while no differences were observed for the SDS and Sheehan. Whether or not the subjects travelled abroad with their families, whether or not they went against their will, and whether or not they enjoyed their stay had no effects on their mental health. Job demand had a significantly positive correlation with the duration of the assignment.