Relationship of Experiencing Stressors and Coping to Physical and Mental Health, Psychological Distress, and Suicidal Ideation during the SARS Cov 2 Outbreak in Japan

An online survey was administered to 1500 residents of Japan age 18 years or older. Responses collected from these subjects were used for analysis. The results revealed that physical and mental health, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation were associated with severe stress and difficulty. Specifically, reduced physical health was associated with “decreased work” and “worries about being infected with COVID-19 or developing a severe case,” reduced mental health with “unable to pay rent” and “unable to get tested,” increased psychological distress with “losing one’s job” and “eviction from one’s home,” and increased suicidal ideation with “being unable to get a mask” and “problems with neighbors.” Psychological distress was significantly lower in those who “read for pleasure” while suicidal ideation was significantly lower in those who “played with children.”