Development of the Japanese version of the Depression Literacy Scale.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a major social concern in Japan. It is therefore necessary to develop a scale in Japanese that can assess depression literacy. AIMS: The present study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the Depression Literacy Scale (D-Lit-J), and examined its validity and reliability. METHODS: Three groups were administered the D-Lit-J, including 117 first-year university English literature students, 112 first-year medical school students, and 53 psychiatrists. Among these, 112 (95.7%), 112 (100%), and 29 subjects (54.7%) returned completed questionnaires, respectively. The total D-Lit-J scores were compared between the three groups to assess known-group validity, and internal reliability was examined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Medical students were asked to complete the questionnaire a second time, 3 weeks later (11 students did not respond), to assess the test-retest reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The total D-Lit-J scores (mean ± SD) were 7.61 ± 4.18, 9.51 ± 4.37, and 17.7 ± 3.15, for English literature students, medical students, and psychiatrists, respectively, and there were significant differences between the three groups (p < .05). The Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from .800 to .834 in all students, and was .764 in psychiatrists, revealing a good internal consistency. The intra-class correlation coefficient of the scale was .769. CONCLUSIONS: The D-Lit-J showed a credible known-group validity, with good internal and test-retest reliabilities. Additional studies with a greater variety of subjects and that examine concurrent or discriminant validity will be necessary in the future.

Disease-Modifying Therapies During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Narrative Review of International and National Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Managing multiple sclerosis (MS) during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a challenge due to the lack of evidence from clinical studies. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may affect the immune response and subsequently alter the risk of COVID-19 infections. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases. A focused Google search was also performed. Recommendations regarding the use of DMTs during the COVID-19 outbreak from national and international MS/neurology societies were identified and reviewed. RESULTS: The review included 16 recommendations from international and national MS organizations. All recommendations are based on expert opinions. The recommendations regarding DMT initiation and management during this outbreak are summarized. Moreover, the experts' views about the risk of COVID-19 infection with each DMT are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant agreement among most experts' recommendations from a variety of sources based on collective clinical experience. However, the recommendations will likely evolve because sufficient clinical data are limited. Several ongoing registries will help provide information for future recommendations.