The effectiveness of the psychological interventions for patients with inflammatory bowel disease varies across studies and lacks consistency. This study aimed to explore the challenges perceived by patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and those with ulcerative colitis (UC) in remission during their daily lives as well as uncover their coping strategies through both exploratory and qualitative analysis. A free description survey was conducted on the selected group of patients with CD and UC who attended the outpatient clinic at a specialized hospital in Japan. As part of the data analysis, discussions were held among the researchers specializing in health psychology, nursing, and medicine, and the results were classified and quantified into four groups for each condition using the Kawakita Jiro method and the Quantification Theory Type III. Cluster analysis using category scores confirmed that the results could be classified into four groups. The problems and coping strategies of each group, commonalities, and differences between the diseases and future challenges are discussed.
Physical activity is influenced by built environment, but these associations may differ according to functional capability and subjective and objective environmental measures. Using data from a mail survey of 5,489 community-dwelling older adults, we examined associations between neighborhood environments and physical activity across functional capability levels. Objective environmental factors were associated with physical activity only among the robust group, whereas subjective environmental factors were associated with physical activity across all functional capability groups. These findings suggest that associations between neighborhood environments and physical activity vary by functional capability and highlight importance of policies addressing both subjective and objective environmental factors.
Eldercide by family caregivers reflects the intersection of aging, caregiving, and violence, yet its motives remain underexplored. This study qualitatively analyses 91 Japanese sentencing decisions (2000-2024). Four motives emerged: financial strain, mercy, caregiving burden, and resentment. Courts often distinguished between sympathetic motives, such as mercy and despair, and condemnable ones, such as resentment or financial prioritisation, shaping sentencing outcomes. The findings advance understanding of homicide motives and show how cultural and legal contexts influence interpretations. They also highlight the need for early intervention and caregiver support, while raising questions about how law balances compassion and culpability in such cases.
Eldercide by family caregivers is an underexplored but growing concern in ageing societies. Japan, the most rapidly ageing country in the world, offers an important case for examining this phenomenon. Drawing on 204 cases reported in a major Japanese national newspaper between 2000 and 2024, this study employed a mixed-method content analysis to construct a foundational understanding of eldercide by family caregivers in Japan. Quantitative findings indicate that these cases predominantly involve female victims and male offenders, both typically aged 65 and over. Qualitative analysis uncovered recurring contextual factors, including caregiver burnout, economic hardship, elder abuse, and strained familial relationships. The findings suggest that caregiver eldercide represents a distinct form of domestic homicide shaped by demographic ageing, cultural caregiving expectations, and gaps in institutional support. This study advances homicide scholarship by conceptualizing caregiver eldercide as a unique subtype of family homicide and highlights implications for theory, research, and prevention in ageing societies worldwide.
In academic settings, publication pressure or the demand for high publication output in prestigious journals is significantly linked to negative mental health outcomes and may lead to questionable research practices. The Revised Publication Pressure Questionnaire (PPQr) was developed to assess these pressures globally; however, this questionnaire has not been adapted to the unique academic environment in Japan. In this study, the Japanese version of the PPQr (PPQr-J) was developed and validated in a sample of 272 researchers from various Japanese institutions. The translation and cultural adaptation methods used adhered to established guidelines. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). We then conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the factor structure. Correlations with existing scales, including burnout indicators, the Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen, and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, were examined. The EFA revealed a four-factor model based on stress, attitude, resources, and discretion that consisted of 17 items. The PPQr-J demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency and moderate to good test-retest reliability, with ICC for the subscales ranging from .499 to .752. CFA supported the four-factor model with a moderate fit. Significant correlations with existing scales confirmed the validity of PPQr-J. This study confirmed that PPQr-J is a reliable and valid tool for assessing publication pressure among Japanese researchers, with "discretion" added as a new element.
