Psychological and traumatic stress and the risk of developing diabetes and psychiatric disorders after a disaster-relief mission: An eight-year longitudinal study of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel dispatched for the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster-relief mission.

The Great East Japan Earthquake caused triple disasters-the earthquake itself, tsunamis, and nuclear leakage. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) personnel engaged in disaster-relief suffered various degrees of psychological stress, which is associated with psychiatric as well as physical disorders, such as diabetes. This study aimed to assess the effect of mission-related stress on the development of diabetes and psychiatric disorders in these personnel using JMSDF annual physical check-up data from 2010 to 2018 and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) questionnaire data. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) of developing diabetes and psychiatric disorders in the dispatched (N = 3686) vs. non-dispatched (N = 13,953) groups and high IES-R (score ≥25) vs. low IES-R score and high K-10 (score ≥25) vs. low K-10 score subgroups. We found a significantly higher HR of developing diabetes in the high IES-R score subgroup (2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-3.80). However, the HRs were not significant when comparing dispatched vs. non-dispatched groups and high vs. low K-10 score subgroups. Although the HR of developing psychiatric disorders was significantly lower in the dispatched group (0.64; 95% CI, 0.48-0.84), it was significantly higher in the high IES-R (7.95; 95% CI, 3.38-18.74) and high K-10 (8.76; 95% CI, 4.34-17.68) score subgroups. Thus, this study indicates the importance of paying closer attention to the risk of diabetes and psychiatric disorders in individuals with high IES-R or K-10 scores after disaster-relief activities.

Psychological and physical condition of Japan maritime self-defense force personnel who performed disaster-relief missions after the 2011 great east Japan earthquake.

The Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan. In the present study, we examine personnel from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force who performed disaster relief in the earthquake's aftermath, focusing on the associated psychological and physical impacts. Overall, 8733 personnel were examined. In both July-August 2011 (M1) and July 2012 (M2), these personnel answered the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Disaster Relief Questionnaire. We also analyzed the sample's physical examination records for the periods before and after the earthquake, using as controls a sample of peers who were not dispatched to the disaster area (N = 32,270). The psychological examinations showed that, in M1, holding the rank of private/sergeant (odds ratio [OR] = 2.13), performing body-recovery duties (OR = 1.94), and having disaster-affected family members (OR = 2.13) were significant risk factors for high post-traumatic stress response (PTSR). In M2, performing body-recovery duties (OR = 1.45) and having disaster-affected family members (OR = 2.60) were significant risk factors for high PTSR. Also, being woman (OR = 2.18) and having disaster-affected family members (OR = 1.68) were significant risk factors for high general psychological distress. For the physical examinations, the mean alanine transaminase in the dispatched group (31.73 ± 25.21) was significantly higher than that in the non-dispatched group (29.56 ± 21.03). These findings suggest that personnel involved in disaster relief experience psychological impacts in the subacute stage, but that these impacts attenuate one year after the event.

Effect of interaction between a specific subtype of child abuse and the FKBP5 rs1360780 SNP on DNA methylation among patients with bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Child abuse is a risk factor for mood disorders, and linked to decreased DNA methylation (DNAm) of FKBP5 intron 7 through interactions with the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1360780. However, no study has investigated which specific subtypes of child abuse are related to decreased DNAm of FKBP5 intron 7 in mood disorders. We therefore aimed to examine the relationship among various subtypes of child abuse, rs1360780, and the DNAm level of FKBP5 intron 7. METHODS: A total of 190 subjects (87 patients with major depressive disorder [MDD], 61 patients with bipolar disorder [BD], and 42 healthy controls) participated. The Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS) was used to evaluate child abuse. Whole blood was processed for genotyping, and pyrosequencing was conducted to assess the DNAm level of FKBP5 intron 7. A multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the DNAm level as a dependent variable, and the CATS subtypes and rs1360780 were used as independent variables. RESULTS: Emotional abuse/neglect, one of the specific subtypes of child abuse, was related to lower DNAm of FKBP5 intron 7 interacting with rs1360780 in the BD patients. There were no significant results in the MDD patients or the controls. LIMITATIONS: Since the study was limited to Japanese individuals, particularly those with MDD and BD, the findings are not generalizable. Furthermore, as child abuse was measured retrospectively, there may be recall bias. CONCLUSIONS: This finding indicates that a specific subtype of child abuse may play an important role in the development of BD.

Relationship between the subtypes of child abuse and affective temperaments: Comparison of depression and bipolar disorder patients and healthy controls using the reclassified Child Abuse and Trauma Scale.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that child abuse indirectly predicts the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BP) based on higher scores of affective temperaments; however, the subtypes of child abuse have not been examined sufficiently. Therefore, in the present study, we used the reclassified version of the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS) to determine how the subtypes of child abuse affect affective temperaments. METHODS: A total of 502 participants (212 healthy controls, 163 patients with MDD and 127 patients with BP) were administered the Japanese version of the CATS; the Japanese version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire; and the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Data were analyzed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A five-factor structure was appropriate for the CATS. The MDD group scored significantly higher on all subtypes of the reclassified CATS than did the control group. Among the subscales of the reclassified CATS, physical abuse and loneliness/psychological stress were significant predictors of affective temperaments, although all subscales were significantly associated with affective temperaments compared to the original CATS. LIMITATIONS: Since child abuse was assessed retrospectively, there might be recall bias. Furthermore, as the study was limited to Japanese individuals, particularly those with mood disorders, the findings might not be generalizable. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the subtypes of child abuse (especially physical abuse and loneliness/psychological stress) might be associated with MDD and BP.