2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Development of measurement of mental health literacy and integrative community diagnosis by GIS
| Project/Area Number |
15590537
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Public health/Health science
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| Research Institution | Akita University |
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Principal Investigator |
MOTOHASHI Yutaka Akita University, School of Medicine, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (10174351)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KANEKO Yoshihiro Akita University, School of Medicine, Lecturer, 医学部, 講師 (70344752)
MIYOSHI Mio Akita University, School of Medicine, Research Associate, 医学部, 助手 (60344751)
SASAKI Hisanaga Akita University, School of Health Sciences, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (70205855)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | suicide prevention / mental health literacy / geographical information system / community diagnosis / health communication / health education / partnership / community health |
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| Research Abstract |
A questionnaire study was conducted for 2,287 community residents living in H town, Akita prefecture. The following items were asked; basic characteristics of subjects, self-rated depression scale, social support including familial support, perceived psychological stress, stress-coping behavior, subjective health assessment, mental health literacy, access to health care, state of functional decline, attitude toward death and suicide, and demand for mental health promotion. The method to measure mental health literacy by questionnaire was developed that was composed of queries of knowledge and coping behavior for a case of typical depression. Percentage of those who had a correct knowledge on depression was higher in the younger generation as compared to the older generation. A decrease in mental health literacy was observed for persons older than 60 years. Thus, mental health education is more necessary in the aged population.
Based on the above-mentioned study, a geographical distributions of mental health indicators in H town were presented. There were geographical differences in depression scores, mental health literacy and psychological stress in H town. The visualization of mental health needs in a community facilitates to make a plan of mental health policies in a community.
An another application of geographical information system in community mental health policies was made regarding risk assessment of suicide in Noshiro city, Akita prefecture. By using this GIS-assisted risk assessment of suicide, scientific determination of determination of priority of community intervention was possible.
In conclusion, a standard method of measurement of mental health literacy in community setting was developed in this study, and an effective integrative community diagnosis system was established.
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