Journal article
Public beliefs about causes and risk factors for mental disorders: a comparison of Japan and Australia
Yoshibumi Nakane, Anthony F Jorm, Kumiko Yoshioka, Helen Christensen, Hideyuki Nakane, Kathleen M Griffiths
BMC PSYCHIATRY | BMC | Published : 2005
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Surveys 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. METHODS: Surveys 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, t..
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Funding Acknowledgements
This study is part of the Australia-Japan Partnership, which is an agreement between the governments of the two countries for joint projects in areas of health. The Japanese research team wishes to thank the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for the Health and Labor Science Research Grants (Research on Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases and Mental Health) which allowed us to conduct our research. The Australian research team wishes to thank the Australian Department of Health and Aging, a National Health and Medical Research Council Program Grant, and "beyondblue: the national depression initiative" for support of the Australian survey and Kelly Blewitt for research assistance.