Development of an educational program to develop the "ability to ask for help" necessary for suicide prevention among university students

• Project/Area Number: 18K10590
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Health Science University
• Principal Investigator: Mochizuki Soichiro 健康科学大学, 看護学部, 教授 (30468227)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
• Keywords: 自殺予防 / 大学生 / 若年層 / メンタルヘルス / 自殺 / 文献検討 / 教育プログラム / 尺度開発 / リスク対処 / 自殺予防教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study has been to develop an effective educational program to recognize and foster "the ability to ask someone for help" when college students are faced with risks and stresses that should be resolved, which are considered to be factors in suicide.
The perception survey for the development of the scale was conducted by mail using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire to 500 students enrolled in five departments at five different universities (assuming 100 students per department), resulting in valid responses from 380 students (76.0%).
Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: controlling negative emotions, finding meaning, understanding the situation, and recognizing that one can get out of a (troubling) situation.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究における大学生を対象とした調査結果からは「負の感情をコントロールする」「意味を見出す」「状況を理解する」「（困った）状況から抜け出せると認識する」の4因子が得られた。この4因子の意味するところは、単に自己効力感を醸成させるということに留まらず、今本人が置かれている現状を把握するとともに、いかに周囲に助けを求めることができるかが重要となる。周囲に助けを求めること自体、現代の大学生にとって非常にハードルの高いことではあるが、一定の訓練を続けることで、周囲に頼ってもよいことに徐々に慣れ、ひいては自殺を選択しなくても済むようになる。つまり、本研究は自殺予防の一助となることが期待できる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] わが国における若年層を対象とした「自殺」に関する研究の概観 (2021)
  • Author(s): 望月宗一郎，渡邉美樹，馬渕路子，田中結香，中村成一郎
  • Journal Title: 健康科学大学紀要 Volume: 17 Pages: 40-48
  • NAID: 40022599959
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] 周囲と気持ち共有を (2020)
  • Author(s): 望月宗一郎
  • Journal Title: 山梨日日新聞（朝刊） Volume: 50303 Pages: 10-10
• [Presentation] 大学生の自殺予防研究における一考察 (2020)
  • Author(s): 望月宗一郎、田中結香、渡邉美樹、馬渕路子
  • Organizer: 日本公衆衛生看護学会
• [Presentation] Association Between the Strength of Neighborly Ties, Focusing on Mutual Aid Activities and Risk-Coping Awareness at the Time of Disasters (2018)
  • Author(s): Soichiro Mochizuki，Rie Kuroda，Sayaka Yamazaki
  • Organizer: The 14th Asia-Pacific Conference on Disaster Medicinee(APCDM) in 2018.
  • Int'l Joint Research