Developing an Activity-Based Intervention to Improve Ikigai for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K21104
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Nagata Shinichi 筑波大学, 体育系, 助教 (30905592)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 生きがい / 精神障がい / 余暇 / リハビリテーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined how people with serious mental illnesses can identify an activity that can be a source of ikigai - a Japanese concept of life worth living. The results of thematic analysis found that exploring interests and engage in trial and errors was a pathway to identify a source of ikigai. Our data also suggested that self-determination was a key to the exploration, and the attitudes of psychiatric service providers and family members can facilitate or thwart the person's self-determination. On the other hand, our data also showed that social and internalized stigma of mental illness are major barriers to exploration. The importance of assisting individuals to resist stigma was demonstrated.

Free Research Field

余暇学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

当研究において、特定の活動が生きがいをもたらすのではなく、当事者の自己決定が生きがいにつながっているということを示すことができた。精神障がい者リハビリテーションでは、生きがいをもたらすために就職に取り組むというアプローチをすることがあるが、それよりも、個人の興味関心から生きがいをもたらすための活動を特定し、その活動を生きがいの中心として据えたライフプランをするアプローチも考えられるということを示したというところが学術的および社会的に意義深い。