Effects of noise environment and auditory information processing on mental health of children and their families

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H01660
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Hidetoshi 高知大学, 医学部, 特任教授 (40423222)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 上野 佳奈子 明治大学, 理工学部, 専任教授 (10313107) ; 中村 亨 大阪大学, 基礎工学研究科, 特任教授(常勤) (80419473) ; 土田 幸子 鈴鹿医療科学大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (90362342)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 教育的環境 / 音環境 / 神経生理 / 精神保健 / 発達障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the effects of noise environment and auditory information processing on mental health of children and adults, in a child and adolescent psychiatric ward, where hospitalized children with vulnerable family functions often live for long periods of time in a closed space.After improving the sound environment, the staff of the child and adolescent psychiatric ward felt less noisy and easier to spend, and the emotional and behavioral problems of children with auditory hyper-sensitivity were improved. Our results suggest that the risk of child abuse might be decreased by improving the sound environment of daily life.

Free Research Field

児童青年期精神医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

家族機能が脆弱な児童が閉ざされた空間の中で長期間にわたり生活することが多い児童精神科入院病棟において、音環境保全対策の前後で、聴覚過敏をもつ児童の情緒・行動上の問題が改善し、職員にとっても騒々しさが減って過ごしやすくなる可能性を示唆する結果が得られたことは、児童虐待のリスクの高い家庭の生活環境上の工夫や配慮の提案につながることが期待でき、本研究成果は、学術的にも社会的にも意義が大きい。