Many studies reported the high prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) among adolescents (13–50%), and PIU was associated with various psychiatric symptoms. In contrast, only a few studies investigated the prevalence among the adult population (6%). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PIU and psychiatric co-morbidity among adult psychiatric patients. Three hundred thirty-three adult psychiatric patients were recruited over a 3-month period. Two hundred thirty-one of them completed the survey (response rate: 69.4%, 231/333; Male/Female/Transgender: 90/139/2; mean age = 42.2). We divided participants into “normal internet users” and “problematic internet users” using a combination of Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS). Demographic data and comorbid psychiatric symptoms were compared between the two groups using self-rating scales measuring insomnia (Athens Insomnia Scale, AIS), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI), anxiety (State-trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Adult ADHD Self-report Scale, ASRS), autism (Autism Spectrum Quotient, AQ), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, OCI), social anxiety disorder (SAD) (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, LSAS), alcohol abuse, and impulsivity (Barratt Impulsive Scale, BIS). Among 231 respondents, 58 (25.1%) were defined as problematic internet users, as they scored high on the IAT (40 or more) or CIUS (21 or more). The age of problematic internet users was significantly lower than that of normal internet users (p < 0.001, Mann–Whitney U test). The problematic internet users scored significantly higher on scales measuring sleep problems (AIS, 8.8 for problematic internet users vs 6.3 for normal internet users, p < 0.001), depression (BDI, 27.4 vs 18.3, p < 0.001), trait anxiety (STAI, 61.8 vs 53.9, p < 0.001), ADHD (ASRS, part A 3.1 vs 1.8 and part B 3.5 vs 1.8, p < 0.001), autism (AQ, 25.9 vs 21.6, p < 0.001), OCD (OCI, 63.2 vs 36.3, p < 0.001), SAD (LSAS, 71.4 vs 54.0, p < 0.001), and impulsivity (BIS, 67.4 vs 63.5, p = 0.004). The prevalence of PIU among adult psychiatric patients is relatively high. As previous studies reported in the general population, lower age and psychiatric comorbidity were associated with PIU among adult psychiatric patients. More research is needed to determine any causal relations between PIU and psychopathological illnesses.

Aim:  To investigate relationships among burnout, coping style and personality.Methods:  Seventy‐two professional caregivers working at nursing homes in Japan were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), NEO Five‐Factor Inventory (NEO‐FFI), 30‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation (CISS).Results:  GHQ (β = 0.34, P < 0.01) and emotion‐oriented coping (CISS‐E; β = 0.31, P < 0.05) were the predictors of emotional exhaustion (MBI‐EE), and neuroticism (NEO‐N; β = 0.45, P < 0.001) and age (β = ‐0.23, P < 0.05) were the predictors of depersonalization (MBI‐DP). Structural equation modeling showed that NEO‐N affected the burnout scores through CISS‐E, and that age and GHQ affected the burnout scores independently.Conclusion:  Personality affects burnout through coping style in professional caregivers.

Purpose: Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be a stressor, and mothers of ASD children often present with high levels of stress and depression. Interventional steps to enhance parental coping skills and resiliency are more important for parental mental health and the family-centered care of children with ASD than merely reducing parental stress. Although the importance of stress-coping skills is well established, only a few studies have investigated interventional steps to improve parental coping or resiliency. Parent training (PT) is known to improve a mother’s mental health. Here, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of PT in improving the stress-coping style of mothers raising children with ASD. Patients and methods: Thirty mothers of children with ASD aged 4–11 years participated in this study. The mothers underwent PT based on the Hizen Parenting Skills Training in Japan, which comprised seven sessions. Each session included education on behavior therapy, individual consultation, and workshops in small groups. Sixteen mothers completed psychological assessment, including the Stress Coping Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Child Behavior Checklist conducted before and after 2 months of PT. Results: The outcomes before and after the PT program were compared using the paired t-test and Pearson’s correlation. After the PT program, the mothers’ stress-coping strategy “positive appraisal” significantly increased (P<0.01) and “escape/avoidance” significantly decreased (P<0.01). The Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition (P<0.05) and the trait anxiety scores (P<0.01) also significantly decreased. The change in the stress-coping strategy “distancing” had a significantly negative correlation with the change in the externalizing Child Behavior Checklist T-scores of children with ASD (Pearson r=-0.518, P<0.05). Conclusion: PT may be effective for mothers of children with ASD to improve their stress-coping style and to decrease their depression and trait anxiety.

Background: Antipsychotic (AP) polypharmacy (APP), the coprescription of more than 1 AP, is frequently practiced in psychiatric inpatients and is considered to be a risk factor for adverse drug events (ADEs). However, the association between APP and ADEs among psychiatric inpatients has not been well investigated. Methods: The Japan Adverse Drug Events (JADE) study was a series of cohort studies conducted in several clinical settings. In particular, the JADE study for psychiatric inpatients was a retrospective cohort study of 448 psychiatric inpatients with a cumulative 22,733 patient-days. We investigated the relationship between APP, defined as a concurrent prescription of 2 or more APs and ADEs. We also assessed the relationship between potential risk factors for ADEs due to APs. Results: Among the 448 patients included in this study, 106 patients (24%) had APP and the remaining 342 patients were prescribed 1 AP or none. Risperidone was the most frequent drug (25%, 109/442 AP prescriptions) used, and levomepromazine was most frequently prescribed as a concurrent medication with other APs (91%, 29/32). The median number of ADEs among the patients with APP was significantly higher than in those without APP (P = 0.001). Antipsychotic polypharmacy was a risk factor for the occurrence of first (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–2.04) and second (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.40–2.79) ADEs. Conclusions: Antipsychotic polypharmacy was a risk factor for the occurrence of single and multiple ADEs. Antipsychotic polypharmacy should be conservatively and minimally practiced.