Predictors of depressive symptoms following the Great East Japan earthquake: A prospective study

Tsuboya, Toru; Aida, Jun; Hikichi, Hiroyuki; Subramanian, S. V.; Kondo, Katsunori; Osaka, Ken; Kawachi, Ichiro

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.05.026

Cited by 77 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Paired t-tests were used to compare GDS scores in different social ties groups. We also used a linear regression model to examine the association between the change in the neighborhood ties and the change in the GDS scores [34]. Skewness and kurtosis were calculated for the distribution of GDS scores in 2010 and 2013.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood Ties Reduced Depressive Symptoms in Older Disaster Survivors: Iwanuma Study, a Natural Experiment

Sasaki

Tsuji

Koyama

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Objective: As most studies relating to mental health and disasters have employed cross-sectional or follow-up assessments about psychological health with post-disaster information, the association between changes in social ties and mental health remains unclear. We examined the relationship between the changes in survivor neighborhood ties and depressive symptoms before and after a natural disaster. Methods: Participants were 3567 individuals aged ≥65 years living in Iwanuma city who had responded to questionnaires by the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study both predating the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and 2.5 years afterward. Changes in the depressive symptoms were assessed using the geriatric depression scale (GDS) at the baseline and follow-up survey. Changes in the neighborhood ties were assessed by asking the participants about their interactions with people in their neighborhood. Possible confounders were adjusted in a linear regression model. Results: Among the 3111 participants in this analysis, 1073 (34.5%) had increased GDS score after the disaster. There were 336 (10.8%) individuals who had neighborhood ties before the disaster, but had no ties afterward; their mean GDS score increased from 2.93 points in 2010 to 3.19 points in 2013. Among those who had not had ties before and after the disaster the mean GDS score remained almost stable, from 2.19 points in 2010 to 2.12 points in 2013. The participants with post-disaster ties were significantly less likely to have an increased GDS score compared with those who had not had ties before and after the disaster (β = −0.39; 95% confidence interval: −0.72, −0.06). Conclusions: Increased neighborhood ties after the disaster reduced the risk of depressive symptoms even when survivors suffered disaster damages. The study reinforces the importance of social capital in disaster recovery and suggests to local governments and local communities that fostering horizontal, neighborhood ties may improve disaster preparedness and mental health resilience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood Ties Reduced Depressive Symptoms in Older Disaster Survivors: Iwanuma Study, a Natural Experiment

Sasaki

Tsuji

Koyama

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…We also have reported that disruption of access to psychiatry after disasters was significantly associated with worsening of depressive symptoms. (Tsuboya et al, 2016) Disruption of access to medical service after disasters might worse not only mental function, but also physical and cognitive function for a few years among older survivors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study profile has been previously described in detail. (Hikichi et al, 2016; Tsuboya et al, 2016) The East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck on March 11th, 2011. Iwanuma city, the field site for the present study, is a coastal municipality in Miyagi prefecture in Japan, located approximately 80 km west of the epicenter of the 3.11 earthquake.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of decline in IADL functioning among older survivors following the Great East Japan earthquake: A prospective study

Tsuboya

Aida

Hikichi

et al. 2017

Social Science & Medicine

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Introduction We described associations between the type of disaster experience and change in instrumental activities of daily living among older adult survivors before-after a terrible disaster. Methods The study took advantage of a “natural experiment” afforded by the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), a nationwide cohort study established in 2010, seven months prior to the earthquake and tsunami. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2013. This study was conducted in Iwanuma, which was directly struck by tsunami. Our sample comprised community-dwelling aged survivors in Iwanuma who responded to questions about personal circumstances and functional status both before and after the disaster(N=3,547). Personal experiences of earthquake and tsunami damage was used as an exposure variable. The outcome was changes in self-reported 13-item instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), which was assessed both before and after the disaster. Results Among the participants, 931 reported losing family member(s) to the disaster, while a further 549 reported losing friend(s). More than half of the participants reported any damage to their houses while approximately 1 in 8 lost their car(s). The multivariable OLS regression revealed that complete house loss and disruption of internal medicine were associated with significantly worse IADL: -0.67 points (95%CI: -0.99, -0.34) for entirely destroyed homes; -0.40 points (95% CI: -0.71, -0.092) for disruption of internal medicine. By contrast, loss of family/friends/pets/cars and disruption to the other medical service were not associated with decline in IADL. Conclusion Complete house loss and disruption of access to internal medicine after a disaster were associated with significant adverse impact on decline in physical and cognitive functions 2.5 years after the disaster, while loss of family/friends was not.

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“…Furthermore, a previous study suggested that dwelling house damage caused by major disasters was associated with worsening depressive symptoms in older survivors. 13 Little evidence, however, is available for the prevention of mental health problems from a public health intervention perspective. Physical activity, which is a modifiable behaviour, has the benefit of preventing or alleviating depressive symptoms 14 15 and of treating depression 16 17 in older adults.…”

Section: Strengths and Limitations Of This Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing depressive symptoms after the Great East Japan Earthquake in older survivors through group exercise participation and regular walking: a prospective observational study

et al. 2017

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ObjectivesSurvivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake have an increased risk of depressive symptoms. We sought to examine whether participation in group exercise and regular walking could mitigate the worsening of depressive symptoms among older survivors.DesignProspective observational study.SettingOur baseline survey was conducted in August 2010, ∼7 months prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, among people aged 65 or older residing in Iwanuma City, Japan, which suffered significant damage in the disaster. A 3-year follow-up survey was conducted in 2013.Participants3567 older survivors responded to the questionnaires predisaster and postdisaster.Primary outcome measuresChange in depressive symptoms was assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).ResultsFrom predisaster to postdisaster, the mean change in GDS score increased by 0.1 point (95% CI −0.003 to 0.207). During the same interval, the frequency of group exercise participation and daily walking time also increased by 1.9 days/year and 1.3 min/day, respectively. After adjusting for all covariates, including personal experiences of disaster, we found that increases in the frequency of group exercise participation (B=−0.139, β=−0.049, p=0.003) and daily walking time (B=−0.087, β=−0.034, p=0.054) were associated with lower GDS scores. Interactions between housing damage and changes in group exercise participation (B=0.103, β=0.034, p=0.063) and changes in walking habit (B=0.095, β=0.033, p=0.070) were marginally significant, meaning that the protective effects tended to be attenuated among survivors reporting more extensive housing damage.ConclusionsParticipation in group exercises or regular walking may mitigate the worsening of depressive symptoms among older survivors who have experienced natural disaster.

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Predictors of depressive symptoms following the Great East Japan earthquake: A prospective study

Cited by 77 publications

References 25 publications

Neighborhood Ties Reduced Depressive Symptoms in Older Disaster Survivors: Iwanuma Study, a Natural Experiment

Neighborhood Ties Reduced Depressive Symptoms in Older Disaster Survivors: Iwanuma Study, a Natural Experiment

Predictors of decline in IADL functioning among older survivors following the Great East Japan earthquake: A prospective study

Reducing depressive symptoms after the Great East Japan Earthquake in older survivors through group exercise participation and regular walking: a prospective observational study

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