Spatial analysis for regional behavior of patients with mental disorders in Japan.

AIM: The aim of our study was to clarify the geographical movement of patients treated in psychiatric facilities, which can provide important information on the resources and health-care system of psychiatric services. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of nationwide data on psychiatric patients, collected as an additional survey to the conventional '630 survey' in 2014. For the 151 848 initially admitted inpatients during 6 months and the 144 401 outpatients on a specific day, we identified whether a patient was admitted to a psychiatric facility located in the same medical area as his/her residence. We estimated percentages of being from (i) within the medical area, (ii) within the prefecture, and (iii) outside the prefecture, using a Bayesian statistical approach for each secondary medical area. RESULTS: The inpatients moved across wider areas than did the outpatients. Almost all inpatients and outpatients received their medical treatment at hospitals/clinics within their prefecture of residence. CONCLUSION: The current mental health medical system in Japan has been operating according to prefecture unit; thus, it may be appropriate to plan a medical system at a prefectural level.

Detection of resting state functional connectivity using partial correlation analysis: A study using multi-distance and whole-head probe near-infrared spectroscopy.

Multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a functional neuroimaging modality that enables easy-to-use and noninvasive measurement of changes in blood oxygenation levels. We developed a clinically-applicable method for estimating resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) with NIRS using a partial correlation analysis to reduce the influence of extraneural components. Using a multi-distance probe arrangement NIRS, we measured resting state brain activity for 8min in 17 healthy participants. Independent component analysis was used to extract shallow and deep signals from the original NIRS data. Pearson's correlation calculated from original signals was significantly higher than that calculated from deep signals, while partial correlation calculated from original signals was comparable to that calculated from deep (cerebral-tissue) signals alone. To further test the validity of our method, we also measured 8min of resting state brain activity using a whole-head NIRS arrangement consisting of 17 cortical regions in 80 healthy participants. Significant RSFC between neighboring, interhemispheric homologous, and some distant ipsilateral brain region pairs was revealed. Additionally, females exhibited higher RSFC between interhemispheric occipital region-pairs, in addition to higher connectivity between some ipsilateral pairs in the left hemisphere, when compared to males. The combined results of the two component experiments indicate that partial correlation analysis is effective in reducing the influence of extracerebral signals, and that NIRS is able to detect well-described resting state networks and sex-related differences in RSFC.

Mediating Role of Psychological Resources on the Association Between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Current Health in the Community Adult Population of Japan.

BACKGROUND: The majority of studies on the role of psychological resources linking childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and adult health have been conducted in Western countries. Empirical evidence for mediation effects of psychological resources is currently lacking in Japan. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of psychological resources (mastery and sense of coherence [SOC]) on the association between childhood SES and current health. METHOD: Analyses were conducted on cross-sectional data (1,497 men and 1,764 women) from the Japanese Study of Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood Study (J-SHINE) in Tokyo. Psychological resources (mastery and SOC), childhood SES (parents' education and perceived childhood SES), and current health of adults (psychological distress measured by K6 and self-rated health) were measured using a self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: Mastery and SOC significantly and independently mediated the association between childhood SES and current health in the total sample after adjusting for age, gender, and respondent education, regardless of type of SES or health outcome indicators. Similar mediation effects were observed for both men and women. A few gender differences were observed; specifically, SOC significantly mediated the association between parents' education and current health only among women, and it mediated the association between perceived childhood SES and current health only among men. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the findings underscore the importance of the mediating role of psychological resources in the association between childhood SES and current health.

Psychological resources as mediators of the association between social class and health: comparative findings from Japan and the USA.

BACKGROUND: Recently, researchers have proposed that psychological resources might be key concept in explaining the association between social class and health. However, empirical examinations of the extent to which psychological resources to social class in health are still few. PURPOSE: This study investigated mediating effects of selected psychological resources (sense of control, self-esteem, optimism, and neuroticism) on the association of social class [education and subjective social status (SSS)] with current health status (self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions). METHOD: This sample consisted of 1,805 Americans (818 males and 987 females) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, 2004-2006 and 1,027 Japanese (505 males and 522 females) from the Midlife in Japan (MIDJA) survey in Tokyo, Japan, 2008-2010. Information on social class, psychological resources, and health status was obtained using telephone interviews or written questionnaires. RESULTS: A mediation analysis was conducted separately for males and females in Japan and the USA. Neuroticism significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among males and females in both countries, with one exception (not for chronic conditions among Japanese females). Sense of control significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health among males and females in both countries. As hypothesized, self-esteem significantly mediated almost all of the associations of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among men and women in the USA, but very few such associations in Japan. Optimism significantly mediated most associations of social class and health status in both countries, but only among females. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the findings underscore important culture- and gender specificity in the ways in which psychosocial resources mediate the links between social class and health.

Altered DNA methylation status of human brain derived neurotrophis factor gene could be useful as biomarker of depression.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the survival, development, and synaptic plasticity of neurons. BDNF is believed to be associated with the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Several studies have suggested the relevance of DNA methylation in its promoter region with depression. Here, we report different methylation statuses in groups with different depressive scores or undergoing different levels of job-stress. DNA samples were extracted from the saliva of 774 Japanese workers, and the methylation status was determined using the Illumina HumanMethylation 450 K Microarray. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Kessler's K6 questionnaire. Job-stress scales were assessed via a self-administered questionnaire. Independent DNA pools were formed based on K6 and job-strain scores, and the methylation levels were compared among these pools. The average DNA methylation rate was significantly decreased in the highest K6 score group compared to the lowest group (methylated signals, 14.2% vs. 16.5%, P = 2 · 16 × 10(-198)). This difference remained for the CpG island in the promoter region (10.4% vs. 5.8%, P = 3 · 67 × 10(-133)). Regarding the job-strain score, there was a slight increase in the methylation level of the whole gene in the group with the highest score compared to that with the lowest score; however, these groups showed no difference in the promoter region. Our results revealed significant changes in the DNA methylation status of the complete human BDNF gene in persons with depression compared to normal individuals, especially in the promoter region of exon 1. This indicates that DNA methylation in this gene is a promising biomarker for diagnosing depression.

Associations between media exposure and mental health among children and parents after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Background: Exposure to natural disaster media coverage is associated with mental health problems, but its long-term impacts are still unclear. Also, no study has analysed the psychological impact of exposure to natural disaster media coverage among children who are generally sensitive to threatening events.Objective: We aimed to examine how television images of victims after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake were associated with mental health among children and their parents.Methods: In 2012, questionnaires for sociodemographic factors were distributed to 2053 families. Parents who provided written consent were contacted in 2013 and invited to provide information on mental health problems (outcome) and retrospectively provide information on television watching at the time of the earthquake (exposure). We used data from 159 parents who completed the survey as the final sample. We used a dichotomous variable to evaluate exposure to media coverage. Multivariable regression was used to examine the association between exposure to television images of victims and mental health, adjusting for potential confounders. Bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs) were used.Results: Exposure to television images of victims was significantly associated with worse psychopathology among children (ß, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.07-2.96) and greater psychological distress among their parents (ß, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.28-2.70). Child psychopathology and parental psychological distress were significantly correlated (r = 0.36, p < .001).Conclusions: Exposure to television images of disaster victims may produce long-term impacts on mental health among children and their parents. To reduce the likelihood of mental health problems associated with disasters, clinicians may recommend reducing exposure to television images of victims.

Television images of victims after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake were associated with worse psychopathology among children in 2013, adjusted for potential confounders.Similar associations were found in psychological distress among their parents.Child psychopathology and parental psychological distress were correlated with each other.

Application of ISO/IEC Guide 51 to COVID-19 infection control for the occupational safety.

COVID-19 is around the world. We attempt to apply three-step method in ISO/IEC Guide 51: 2014 to COVID-19 infection control in the workplace. The results show that the COVID-19 infection control measures include the eradication of the virus, the destruction of infectivity, the detoxification and weakening and the elimination of opportunities for infection as "Inherently Safe Design Measures", the avoidance of contact as "Safeguarding and Complementary Protective Measures" and the reduction of contact and the avoidance of seriousness as "Information for Use". Among these specific measures, the New Normal, especially in the manufacturing industries, would be "telecommuting" and "unmanned workplaces", which are part of the elimination of opportunities for infection, and "changes in flow lines" and "changes in airflow", which are part of the avoidance of contact. Where "telecommuting" and "unmanned workplaces" are feasible, they should be implemented as much as possible, and where they are not, attempts should be made to minimize human-to-human contact by "changes in flow lines". In addition, in the area of "changes in airflow", there are high expectations for future research on how to establish a ventilation design for COVID-19, in which but also the source would be workers themselves, not only combustible gases and toxic gases.

Japanese version of the 42-item psychological well-being scale (PWBS-42): a validation study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the internal consistency, structural validity, and convergent/known-group validity of the Japanese version of the 42-item Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS-42). METHODS: The PWBS-42 includes six 7-item subscales designed to measure the following dimensions of eudaimonic psychological well-being: 1) autonomy, 2) environmental mastery, 3) personal growth, 4) positive relations with others, 5) purpose in life, and 6) self-acceptance. A questionnaire was administered to 2102 community residents in Tokyo aged 30 or over as a part of the Midlife in Japan (MIDJA) survey, in 2008. The internal consistency reliability was tested using Cronbach's α. Structural validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Convergent validity was evaluated by calculating correlations of the Japanese PWBS-42 subscales with life satisfaction, negative affect, negative adjectives, positive affect, positive adjectives, self-esteem, and perceived stress scales. RESULTS: Data from 1027 respondents (505 males and 522 females) were analyzed (valid response rate = 56.2%). Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.70 to 0.78 for five of the subscales, while that for purpose in life was lower (0.57). EFA yielded a five-factor structure: The first two factors consisted of negative and positive items mostly from the environmental mastery, purpose in life, and self-acceptance subscales. The third, fourth, and fifth factors consisted mostly of items from the positive relations with others, autonomy, and personal growth subscales, respectively. As hypothesized, the scores for life satisfaction, negative and positive affect/adjectives, self-esteem and perceived stress were significantly correlated with all subscales of the Japanese PWBS-42. CONCLUSION: The subscales of the Japanese version of the PWBS-42 showed accep. levels of reliability and support for convergent validity in the Japanese population. The factor structure was slightly different from the theoretical 6-factor model: items of three subscales (environmental mastery, purpose in life, and self-acceptance) loaded together on two factors. This finding may be interpreted in light of the interdependent self construal found in Japan in which these three components could be closely linked.

Altered expression of microRNA-223 in the plasma of patients with first-episode schizophrenia and its possible relation to neuronal migration-related genes.

Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a role as regulators of neurodevelopment by modulating gene expression. Altered miRNA expression has been reported in various psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. However, the changes in the miRNA expression profile that occur during the initial stage of schizophrenia have not been fully investigated. To explore the global alterations in miRNA expression profiles that may be associated with the onset of schizophrenia, we first profiled miRNA expression in plasma from 17 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 17 healthy controls using microarray analysis. Among the miRNAs that showed robust changes, the elevated expression of has-miR-223-3p (miR-223) was validated via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) using another independent sample set of 21 schizophrenia patients and 21 controls. To identify the putative targets of miR-223, we conducted a genome-wide gene expression analysis in neuronally differentiated SK-N-SH cells with stable miR-223 overexpression and an in silico analysis. We found that the mRNA expression levels of four genes related to the cytoskeleton or cell migration were significantly downregulated in miR-223-overexpressing cells, possibly due to interactions with miR-223. The in silico analysis suggested the presence of miR-223 target sites in these four genes. Lastly, a luciferase assay confirmed that miR-223 directly interacted with the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of all four genes. Our results reveal an increase in miR-223 in plasma during both the first episode and the later stage of schizophrenia, which may affect the expression of cell migration-related genes targeted by miR-223.

The First Pilot Genome-Wide Gene-Environment Study of Depression in the Japanese Population.

Stressful events have been identified as a risk factor for depression. Although gene-environment (G × E) interaction in a limited number of candidate genes has been explored, no genome-wide search has been reported. The aim of the present study is to identify genes that influence the association of stressful events with depression. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide G × E interaction analysis in the Japanese population. A genome-wide screen with 320 subjects was performed using the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human Array 6.0. Stressful life events were assessed using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) and depression symptoms were assessed with self-rating questionnaires using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. The p values for interactions between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and stressful events were calculated using the linear regression model adjusted for sex and age. After quality control of genotype data, a total of 534,848 SNPs on autosomal chromosomes were further analyzed. Although none surpassed the level of the genome-wide significance, a marginal significant association of interaction between SRRS and rs10510057 with depression were found (p = 4.5 × 10-8). The SNP is located on 10q26 near Regulators of G-protein signaling 10 (RGS10), which encodes a regulatory molecule involved in stress response. When we investigated a similar G × E interaction between depression (K6 scale) and work-related stress in an independent sample (n = 439), a significant G × E effect on depression was observed (p = 0.015). Our findings suggest that rs10510057, interacting with stressors, may be involved in depression risk. Incorporating G × E interaction into GWAS can contribute to find susceptibility locus that are potentially missed by conventional GWAS.

Culture, inequality, and health: evidence from the MIDUS and MIDJA comparison.

This article seeks to forge scientific connections between three overarching themes (culture, inequality, health). Although the influence of cultural context on human experience has gained notable research prominence, it has rarely embraced another large arena of science focused on the influence social hierarchies have on how well and how long people live. That literature is increasingly focused psychosocial factors, working interactively with biological and brain-based mechanisms, to account for why those with low socioeconomic standing have poorer health. Our central question is whether and how these processes might vary by cultural context. We draw on emerging findings from two parallel studies, Midlife in the U.S. and Midlife in Japan, to illustrate the cultural specificity evident in how psychosocial and neurobiological factors are linked with each other as well as how position in social hierarchies matters for psychological experience and biology. We conclude with suggestions for future multidisciplinary research seeking to understand how social hierarchies matter for people's health, albeit in ways that may possibly differ across cultural contexts.

Using social epidemiology and neuroscience to explore the relationship between job stress and frontotemporal cortex activity among workers.

Mental health problems, such as depression, are increasingly common among workers. Job-related stresses, including psychological demands and a lack of discretion in controlling one's own work environment, are important causal factors. However, the mechanisms through which job-related stress may affect brain function remain unknown. We sought to identify the relationship between job-related stress and frontotemporal cortex activation using near-infrared spectroscopy. Seventy-nine (45 females, 34 males) Japanese employees, aged 26-51 years, were recruited from respondents to the Japanese Study of Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood survey. Job-related stress was measured using the Japanese version of Job Content Questionnaire, which can index "job demand" and "job control". We found a significant correlation between higher "job demand" and smaller oxygenated hemoglobin [oxy-Hb] changes in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in female (r = -.54 to -.44). Significant correlations between higher "job control" and greater [oxy-Hb] changes in the right temporal cortex were observed among male, and in the combined sample (r = .46-.64). This initial cross-sectional observation suggests that elevated job-related stress is related to decrease frontotemporal cortex activation among workers. Integrating social epidemiology and neuroscience may be a powerful strategy for understanding how individuals' brain functions may mediate between the job-related stress or psychosocial work characteristics and public mental health.

A cultural perspective on emotional experiences across the life span.

Past research suggests that older adults place a greater priority on goals of maintaining positive experiences and distancing from negative experiences. We hypothesized that these aging-related differences in emotional experiences are more pronounced in Western cultures that encourage linear approaches to well-being compared with Eastern cultures that encourage more dialectic approaches to well-being. We compared reports of positive and negative emotional experiences from random samples of Americans (a culture characterized by focus on positive and distancing from negative experiences) and Japanese (a culture characterized by its endorsement of dialectical experiences). In support of our hypothesis, older Americans reported significantly less negative emotions in unpleasant situations, relative to their younger counterparts. Furthermore, both trait-level negativity (i.e., rumination) and interpersonal negativity (i.e., recall of unpleasant relationships and intensity of an unpleasant interpersonal experience) were lower among older compared with younger Americans. In contrast, such aging-related effects were absent in the Japanese respondents. Even though older and younger Japanese reported the same amount of negative emotions in unpleasant situations, older Japanese also reported more positive emotions in the same unpleasant situations. Together, these findings highlight the role of culture for understanding how emotional experiences unfold across adulthood.