The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic concepts of taijin-kyofu-sho (TKS) and social phobia, by comparing the clinical diagnosis of TKS and the operational diagnosis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised; DSM-III-R). Three evaluators conducted semistructured interview for DSM-III-R (SCID axis I and II, the Japanese version) to 88 outpatients who visited Jikei University Daisan Hospital, Japan, over a period of 1 year, requesting Morita therapy. The patients were also independently diagnosed by three psychiatrists to identify TKS. A total of 65.8% of 38 cases of TKS were diagnosed as social phobia. Among the neurotic TKS cases, the percentage was high at 81.5%, while among the delusional TKS cases it was 27.3%. A total of 42.1% of the TKS cases were diagnosed as mood disorder; 60.5% of the TKS cases presented some axis II disorders, among which avoidant personality disorder was the most prevalent (31.6%). There was no significant difference between the neurotic and delusional subtypes of TKS, regarding comorbidity with axis I diagnoses. As for axis II diagnoses, delusional TKS patients had a higher rate of comorbidity with paranoid personality disorder, although they demonstrated very similar trends in comorbidity with all other personality disorders. In the diagnostic system of DSM-III-R, it is highly likely that the neurotic and delusional subtypes of TKS will be seen to correspond to different diagnostic categories.

Morita therapy was founded in 1919 by Shoma Morita (1874-1938) and is a systematic psychotherapy based on Eastern psychology. Since its founding 75 years ago, the treatment theory, treatment environment, treatment population and its cultural environment have been examined and modified in some areas. In this review, we first examine Morita theory and discuss the changes that have occurred in subsequent theories and methodologies. Our discussion presents the founding of Morita therapy and the characteristics of Morita theory; the practice of Morita therapy; Morita therapy from the perspectives of transcultural psychiatry and comparative psychotherapy; subsequent developments and modifications of Morita therapy; and the biological studies of Morita therapy. We attempt to clarify the universality and uniqueness of Morita therapy and provide a new framework for understanding Morita therapy.

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Until recently, the treatments for emetophobia (the fear of vomiting) have not been well studied. In Japan, Morita therapy is a known, excellent treatment option for emetophobia, but to our knowledge, there is currently no case report of Morita therapy for the treatment of emetophobia in English. Here, we present a case of emetophobia that was treated with Morita therapy and discuss its effectiveness and characteristics.

The purpose of the present study was to empirically and objectively clarify the diagnostic standing of Morita shinkeishitsu, the subject of Morita therapy, by comparing and contrasting it with the operational diagnosis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised; DSM-III-R). Morita therapists' clinical diagnoses of 88 outpatients who requested Morita therapy were compared with the results of the independently conducted operational diagnoses (structured clinical interview for DSM (SCID) for DSM-III-R, the Japanese version). In view of the result of axis I diagnoses, Morita shinkeishitsu corresponds to anxiety disorders, although it is a complex that also embodies mood disorders, which were found in one-quarter of the cases, as well as personality disorders, which were found in half of the cases, especially cluster C (avoidant, obsessive-compulsive, and dependent personality disorders). Morita shinkeishitsu is almost equivalent to anxiety disorders (DSM-III-R, axis I), and is a complex, a part of which includes mood disorders and cluster C personality disorders.