The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) is used widely in occupational health studies and practice. Summarizing scientific production based on measurement is crucial. This study aimed to systematically review observational studies that used the BJSQ and the New BJSQ to show their usability. A systematic search was conducted for studies investigating relationships between the BJSQ or the New BJSQ subscales and other validated measurements on 13 September 2021, in various literature databases. The BJSQ subscales, scoring methods, and other validated measurements in the studies were qualitatively summarized. In total, 145 published reports between 2003 and 2021 were included. Among the BJSQ subscales, job stressors (n = 95) such as quantitative job overload (n = 65) and job control (n = 64) were most often used. The subscales were utilized to investigate the relationships with several other measurements. Five reports used subscales from the New BJSQ. In the last two decades, the BJSQ and the New BJSQ help measure psychosocial factors (PF) at work and contribute to the publication of scientific papers in the occupational health field. This study would encourage the utilization of the questionnaires for future research and practice.

Background: Postsecondary student suicide is one of Japan’s most severe public health problems. Gatekeeper training (GKT) programs are a generally recommended suicide prevention intervention in Japan. For suicide countermeasures, an online program tailored to students may enhance self-efficacy as a gatekeeper. Objective: This study aims to describe a research protocol to investigate the effect of a newly developed internet-delivered online peer GKT program to improve postsecondary student self-efficacy as gatekeepers for suicide countermeasures in Japan. Methods: This study is a 2-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 (intervention: waiting list) allocation. Participants (n=320) will be recruited, and those who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to the intervention or waiting list control group. An approximately 85-minute, 6-section, internet-based gatekeeper program for postsecondary students has been developed that includes videos to help participants acquire skills as gatekeepers. The intervention group will complete the program within 10 days. The primary outcome, self-efficacy as a gatekeeper, is measured using the Gatekeeper Self-Efficacy Scale at baseline, immediately after taking the program, and 2 months after the survey after completing the program follow-up. To compare the primary outcomes, a t test, where the significance level is 5% (2-sided), will be used to test the intervention effect on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: The study was at the stage of data collection at the time of submission. We recruited participants for this study during August and September 2021, and data collection will continue until December 2021. The data analysis related to the primary outcome will start in December 2021, and we hope to publish the results in 2022 or 2023. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of an online GKT program for postsecondary students to improve self-efficacy as a gatekeeper using a randomized controlled trial design. The study will explore the potential of an online peer gatekeeper program for postsecondary students that can be disseminated online to a large number of students with minimal cost. Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000045325; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051685 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/34832

Aim: This study aimed to compare the 12‐item and 36‐item versions of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 using longitudinal data from community mental health outreach service users.Methods: Using data from Tokorozawa City mental health outreach service users in Japan, total and domain WHODAS‐12 and WHODAS‐36 scores were compared. First, we examined score‐change differences by domain at the start of outreach services (T1) and 1 year later (T2) for each version. Next, we compared differences between the two versions using Pearson's correlation, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, and Bland–Altman analysis.Results: Among 20 participants, total scores and scores of some domains (i.e., cognition, getting along, life activities, and participation) were significantly lower at T2 than at T1 on both versions (p < 0.010). WHODAS‐36 scores were significantly lower at T2 than at T1 for the self‐care domain (p = 0.018). Except for self‐care, strong correlations were found between scores from the two versions (p < 0.001). In the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test and Bland–Altman analysis, we found significant differences between the scores of the two versions in the mobility, self‐care, and participation domains. There were no significant differences in the distribution or systematic errors between the two versions in scores for the other domains or total score.Conclusion: We found strong positive correlations between WHODAS‐12 and WHODAS‐36 total scores with no statistical differences between them. For some domains, differences in distribution and systematic errors were found.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to assess the association between psychosocial factors in the workplace and menstrual abnormalities or fertility, focusing on literature implementing a prospective cohort design.Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Japan Medical Abstracts Society electronic databases for studies published from inception to February 26, 2020, and updated the search in PubMed on May 29, 2024. Inclusion criteria were (P) adult female workers (over 18 years old), (E) presence of adverse psychosocial factors at work, (C) absence of adverse psychosocial factors at work, and (O) any menstrual cycle disorders, menstrual‐related symptoms, or fertility issues. Prospective cohort studies were included. The included studies were summarized descriptively.Results: Database searching yielded 14,238 abstracts, with nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Outcomes included fertility (n = 5), irregular menstrual cycle (n = 1), early menopause (n = 1), endometriosis (n = 1), and serum hormones (n = 1). Study findings included that women with high job demands and low job control were less likely to conceive, and working over 40 h per week and frequent heavy lifting, and rotating night shift work increased the risk of earlier menopause. Studies on night shift/rotating work and fertility outcomes showed no significant differences.Conclusion: This review underscores the insufficient high‐level evidence regarding the association of psychosocial factors at work with fertility and menstrual disorders, emphasizing the necessity for future well‐designed studies.

Introduction Individuals with mental illness and their families often undergo their recovery process in their communities. This study explored the long-term outcome trajectories of individuals and families who received case management services provided by multidisciplinary outreach teams in a community setting. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether trajectories of subjective quality of life (QoL) related to personal recovery were linked to those clinical and societal outcomes and changes in outreach service frequency. Methods and analysis The protocol of this 10-year multisite cohort study was collaboratively developed with individuals with lived experience of psychiatric disorders who had received services from participating outreach teams, and with family members in Japanese family associations. The participants in the study include patients and their key family members who receive services from 23 participating multidisciplinary outreach teams. The participant recruitment period is set from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2025. If necessary, the recruitment period may be extended and the number of participating teams may be increased. The study will annually evaluate the following outcomes after participants’ initial utilisation of services from each team: QoL related to personal recovery, personal agency, feelings of loneliness, well-being and symptom and functional assessments. The family outcomes encompass QoL, well-being, care burden and family relationships. Several meetings will be held to monitor progress and manage issues during the study. Multivariate analyses with repeated measures will be performed to investigate factors influencing changes in the patients’ QoL scores as the dependent variable. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the ethical committee of the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (no. A2023-065). The study findings will be reported in peer-reviewed publications and presented at relevant scientific conferences. Trial registration number UMIN-CTR, No. UMIN000052275.

Although the effectiveness of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment has been recognized, the long-term vocational outcomes associated with variations in the structural quality of IPS programs remain unclear. This study investigated the impact of IPS program fidelity on long-term vocational outcomes over 6 years in Japan. The eligible study participants were 202 individuals in 16 IPS programs who were initially enrolled in a 2-year follow-up study and monitored for an additional 4 years. The fidelity of the participating IPS programs was measured using the Japanese version of the individualized Supported Employment Fidelity Scale. Seven and eight programs were classified as low and high fidelity, respectively. The analysis included 123 participants in 15 programs (follow-up rate: 61 %). During the follow-up period, the high-fidelity group had significantly higher employment rates (54.0 % vs. 88.3 %; adjusted odds ratio: 6.5, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-31.2, p = 0.020), longer work tenures (adjusted mean difference [aMD]: 14.4 months, 95 %CI: 2.3-26.5, p = 0.020), and higher earnings (shown in USD) (aMD: 10,573.0, 95 %CI: 2119.3-19,026.7, p = 0.014). While the employment rates were significantly higher in the high-fidelity group than in the low-fidelity group until year 4, this difference diminished after year 5. Thus, high-fidelity IPS programs can achieve sustained vocational benefits, and ongoing fidelity reviews and maintenance appear essential for optimizing long-term employment outcomes. The findings also suggest practical considerations regarding the timing of IPS service termination and strategies for long-term engagement with service users who have left their jobs in real-world contexts.