Psychological and psychiatric studies about the prevention and treatment of "modern-type depression"

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03741
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: SAKAMOTO Shinji 日本大学, 文理学部, 教授 (20316912)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 加藤 隆弘 九州大学, 大学病院, 講師 (70546465)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 抑うつ / 社会系心理学 / 精神医学 / 心理的障害 / 新型うつ / バイオマーカー / 学際研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated "modern-type depression" (MTD), which has different characteristics from traditional-type depression (TTD), from both psychology and psychiatry. In psychological studies, (1) we identified the characteristics leading to MTD (i.e., interpersonal sensitivity / privileged self), and showed that these characteristics lead to the onset of depression due to stressor. (2) We examined how people with MTD were perceived by their surroundings in students (including Japan and the United States), office workers (including managers and non-managers), and we found many differences from TTD. (3) We investigated the social image of MTD in newspaper reports and the perception of the general public. In psychiatric studies, we created diagnostic criteria for MTD, developed a self-administered scale to measure the temperament of MTD, and investigated the relationship with biomarkers.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「新型うつ」は従来型うつ病に対する治療では治りにくいとされている。本研究で「新型うつ」と結びつく特性や気質が見いだされ、ストレッサーを受け抑うつの発症につながることが示されたことから、本人に対する心理的介入の可能性が大きく広がった。また、「新型うつ」の人を周囲が否定的にとらえており、この周囲の人たちの反応が「新型うつ」の更なる悪化に寄与する可能性が示唆されたことから、周囲の人も含めた対策をとる余地があることが示された。精神医学では、新型うつと結びつくバイオマーカーがいくつかわかってきており、診断に役立つと期待される。