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Key wordsThe purpose of the present study is to test interrater reliability of the Japanese version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and to examine factors possibly affecting the reliability. The study group conducted the PANSS rating on 20 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia. For the analysis of interrater reliability, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. The ICC for individual items of the PANSS ranged from 0.26 to 0.92, and those for the positive, negative, and general psychopathology subscales were 0.85, 0.83 and 0.75, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the subscales were 0.84, 0.87 and 0.76, respectively. The interrater reliability and the internal consistency were satisfactory and similar to those obtained in the antecedent studies. No salient training effect was found in a sequential analysis of the concordance rate. It is concluded that the Japanese version of the PANSS is a reliable and efficient tool for comprehensive assessment of the schizophrenic syndrome.interrater reliability, intraclass coefficient, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), schizophrenia.

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There appears to be a particularly vulnerable sub-group of women with severe mood disorders, a history of serious suicide attempts and young children at risk of harming those children. Our sample was small and from a single unit so, given the potential importance of improving understanding of who is at risk in such circumstances, extending our study nationally seems indicated.

Background To control the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 infection's disease (COVID-19), appropriate precautionary behaviors by the public should be promoted. There are international differences in public cognitive and behavioral pattern, attitudes toward information sources, and anxiety about COVID-19. Information about these differences could increase understanding of the patterns of epidemic-related anxiety and behavior, and would help optimize future policies for preventing the next wave of the epidemic. Methods To examine between-country differences in perception, attitude, and precautionary behaviors toward COVID-19, we conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire survey. Participants were adults who had been registered in Cross Marketing Group Inc. and living in the UK, Spain, or Japan. A total of 8,000 people stratified by age were recruited on a first-come, first-serve basis. Knowledge of and anxiety about COVID-19, the frequency of access and perceived credibility of several information sources, and the frequency of each precautionary behavior were examined on March 27–28, 2020, in Japan and April 17–21, 2020, in the UK and Spain. Results Knowledge, anxiety, and the frequency of precautionary behaviors were higher in the UK and Spain than in Japan. Participants with infected acquaintances were more concerned about COVID-19. However, participants in the UK rarely wore a medical mask. Participants in the UK and Spain were more eager to obtain information about COVID-19 than those in Japan. Participants in Spain tended not to trust official information and to believe specialists’ comments instead. Conclusion The rapidity of the spread of COVID-19, cultural background, and recent political situations seemed to contribute to the international differences here.