Public beliefs about causes and risk factors for mental disorders: a comparison of Japan and Australia

Abstract

BackgroundSurveys of the public in a range of Western countries have shown a predominant belief in social stressors as causes of mental disorders. However, there has been little direct cross-cultural comparison. Here we report a comparison of public beliefs about the causes of mental disorders in Japan and Australia.MethodsSurveys of the public were carried out in each country using as similar a methodology as feasible. In both countries, household interviews were carried out concerning beliefs about causes and risk factors in relation to one of four case vignettes, describing either depression, depression with suicidal thoughts, early schizophrenia or chronic schizophrenia. In Japan, the survey involved 2000 adults aged between 20 and 69 from 25 regional sites spread across the country. In Australia, the survey involved a national sample of 3998 adults aged 18 years or over.ResultsIn both countries, both social and personal vulnerability causes were commonly endorsed across all vignettes. The major differences in causal beliefs were that Australians were more likely to believe in infection, allergy and genetics, while Japanese were more likely to endorse "nervous person" and "weakness of character". For risk factors, Australians tended to believe that women, the young and the poor were more at risk of depression, but these were not seen as higher risk groups by Japanese.ConclusionIn both Japan and Australia, the public has a predominant belief in social causes and risk factors, with personal vulnerability factors also seen as important. However, there are also some major differences between the countries. The belief in weakness of character as a cause, which was stronger in Japan, is of particular concern because it may reduce the likelihood of seeking professional help and support from others.

Beliefs about Causes of and Risk Factors for Mental Disorders: A Comparison of Japanese and American College Students

“…This study differs from past research (e.g., Nakane et al, 2005), which examined cross-national differences in MHL between Australians and Japanese. The present study investigated MHL differences between Japanese and American using college students rather than general populations.…”

“…This tendency may also be associated with the stigma Japanese individuals face when discussing mental illness. Indeed, Nakane et al (2005) concluded that Japanese individuals tended to believe that depression is caused by weakness of character. Furthermore, very few Japanese believe that people can recover from mental disorders, such as depression (Ando, Yamaguchi, Aoki, & Thomickroft, 2013).…”

Age differences in mental health literacy

“…physical activity, psychotherapy, hypnosis) as either 'helpful, 'harmful' or 'neither.' Causal beliefs about depression and psychosis were also assessed [19]. Respondents were asked to rate the likelihood of the following as causes for the disorder described in the vignette: 'virus or infection', 'allergies', 'day-to-day problems,' 'the recent death of a close friend or relative,' 'experiencing a recent trauma,' 'childhood problems,' 'genetics,' 'being a nervous person' and 'weakness of character.'…”

Dependence on Cultural Contexts of the Factors Influencing Social Acceptance toward Schizophrenia: Evidence from Comparative Study between Japan and Vietnam

“…The description of vignettes was designed to fit the diagnostic criteria of DSM-Ⅳ and ICD-10. Respondents were randomly shown male or female versions of the vignettes (Nakane et al, 2005). The target populations of these two surveys were male and female aged 20 to 69.…”

“…This study is a secondary analysis of this data. Their survey comprised common questions about social attitudes for case vignettes: chronic schizophrenia, early-episode schizophrenia, depression, and depression with suicidal thoughts (Nakane et al, 2005). The description of vignettes was designed to fit the diagnostic criteria of DSM-Ⅳ and ICD-10.…”