Causal Effects of High Stress Assessed Via Interviews on Mental and Physical Health: Toward Computer Agent-Driven Stress Assessment

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the causal effect of high stress assessment via an interview on the mental and physical health of workers 1 month later.

METHODS

Stress assessment interviews and feedback were conducted with 50 Japanese workers. In addition to the interviewer, two occupational health professionals assessed participants' stress based on recordings. The average treatment effect was estimated by propensity score matching.

RESULTS

High stress, according to the interview-based assessment, had a significant negative causal effect on self-reported well-being 1 month later (95% confidence interval: -3.02, -1.10). In addition, no effect of high stress on stress load, mental and physical symptoms, or burnout was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides important insights into the prognosis of individuals who were assessed through interviews to have high stress. The findings are expected to help automate stress assessments using computer agents.

Transmit Radiant Individuality to Offspring (TRIO) study: investigating intergenerational transmission effects on brain development

Intergenerational transmission is a crucial aspect of human development. Although prior studies have demonstrated the continuity of psychopathology and maladaptive upbringing environments between parents and offspring, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. We have begun a novel neuroimaging research project, the Transmit Radiant Individuality to Offspring (TRIO) study, which focuses on biological parent-offspring trios. The participants of the TRIO study were Japanese parent-offspring trios consisting of offspring aged 10-40 and their biological mother and father. Structural and functional brain images of all participants were acquired using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Saliva samples were collected for DNA analysis. We obtained psychosocial information, such as intelligence, mental health problems, personality traits, and experiences during the developmental period from each parent and offspring in the same manner as much as possible. By April 2023, we completed data acquisition from 174 trios consisting of fathers, mothers, and offspring. The target sample size was 310 trios. However, we plan to conduct genetic and epigenetic analyses, and the sample size is expected to be expanded further while developing this project into a multi-site collaborative study in the future. The TRIO study can challenge the elucidation of the mechanism of intergenerational transmission effects on human development by collecting diverse information from parents and offspring at the molecular, neural, and behavioral levels. Our study provides interdisciplinary insights into how individuals' lives are involved in the construction of the lives of their descendants in the subsequent generation.

The Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI): a scoping review of versions, translations and psychometric properties

Background

The Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) is a brief instrument designed to assess the five-factor model (FFM) personality dimensions. It was specifically developed to provide a brief assessment option in situations where using more comprehensive FFM instruments would be unfeasible. The TIPI enjoys widespread use and has been translated into several different languages.

Objective

The aim of this scoping review was to generate an overview of different versions of the TIPI, and their psychometric properties in terms of two aspects of validity (convergent and structural) and two aspects of reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability).

Methods

Four databases (PsycINFO, PubPsych, Medline, and Web of Science) were searched for studies exploring psychometric properties of the TIPI (original and/or translated or revised versions), published in English as full-text original research articles. Additionally, manual searches were conducted on the official TIPI website and in reference lists. Studies who utilized the TIPI simply as a measure, without an aim of testing its psychometric properties, were excluded. A descriptive-analytical approach was utilized to generate overviews of available TIPI versions and their psychometric properties.

Results

In a total of 29 studies, 27 versions of the TIPI were identified, covering 18 different languages. Across versions, and evaluated against conventions of acceptable psychometric properties, the TIPI demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability, somewhat mixed results for convergent and structural validity, and inappropriate internal consistency.

Conclusion

Being a brief instrument, the TIPI is unsurprisingly characterized by certain psychometric shortcomings. However, the TIPI may represent a feasible compromise in instances where it is necessary to strike a balance between maximizing psychometric properties and minimizing survey length.

Assessment of Multidimensional Health Care Parameters Among Adults in Japan for Developing a Virtual Human Generative Model: Protocol for a Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Human health status can be measured on the basis of many different parameters. Statistical relationships among these different health parameters will enable several possible health care applications and an approximation of the current health status of individuals, which will allow for more personalized and preventive health care by informing the potential risks and developing personalized interventions. Furthermore, a better understanding of the modifiable risk factors related to lifestyle, diet, and physical activity will facilitate the design of optimal treatment approaches for individuals.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide a high-dimensional, cross-sectional data set of comprehensive health care information to construct a combined statistical model as a single joint probability distribution and enable further studies on individual relationships among the multidimensional data obtained.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional observational study, data were collected from a population of 1000 adult men and women (aged ≥20 years) matching the age ratio of the typical adult Japanese population. Data include biochemical and metabolic profiles from blood, urine, saliva, and oral glucose tolerance tests; bacterial profiles from feces, facial skin, scalp skin, and saliva; messenger RNA, proteome, and metabolite analyses of facial and scalp skin surface lipids; lifestyle surveys and questionnaires; physical, motor, cognitive, and vascular function analyses; alopecia analysis; and comprehensive analyses of body odor components. Statistical analyses will be performed in 2 modes: one to train a joint probability distribution by combining a commercially available health care data set containing large amounts of relatively low-dimensional data with the cross-sectional data set described in this paper and another to individually investigate the relationships among the variables obtained in this study.

RESULTS

Recruitment for this study started in October 2021 and ended in February 2022, with a total of 997 participants enrolled. The collected data will be used to build a joint probability distribution called a Virtual Human Generative Model. Both the model and the collected data are expected to provide information on the relationships between various health statuses.

CONCLUSIONS

As different degrees of health status correlations are expected to differentially affect individual health status, this study will contribute to the development of empirically justified interventions based on the population.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/47024.

Dreams share phenomenological similarities with task-unrelated thoughts and relate to variation in trait rumination and COVID-19 concern

While recent neurocognitive theories have proposed links between dreams and waking life, it remains unclear what kinds of waking thoughts are most similar in their phenomenological characteristics to those of dreams. To investigate this question and examine relevance of dreams to significant personal concerns and dispositional mental health traits, we employed ecological momentary assessment and trait questionnaires across 719 young adults who completed the study during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time marked by considerable societal concern. Across the group and at the level of individual differences, dreams showed the highest correspondence with task-unrelated thoughts. Participants who self-reported greater COVID-19 concern rated their dreams as more negative and unconstructive, a relationship which was moderated by trait rumination. Furthermore, dreams perceived as more negative unconstructive and immersive in nature associated with increased trait rumination beyond variation in rumination explained by waking task-unrelated thoughts alone. Together, these results point to similarities between perceived characteristics of dreams and task-unrelated thoughts, and support a relationship between dreams, current concerns, and mental health.

Demographic factors, personality, and executive functions as predictors of procrastination in Polish and Ukrainian youth

BACKGROUND

Procrastination is an irrational and unproductive behavior that disrupts psychological well-being and the quality of interpersonal relationships. The study aimed to determine the differences between Polish and Ukrainian youth in procrastinating and establish personality and executive functions as predictors of procrastination. Also, cultural differences were taken into account.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

It included 180 students (86 females and 94 males) aged 12 to 17; 84 lived in Lublin, Poland, while 96 lived in Lviv, Ukraine. The Pure Procrastination Scale, Ten Item Personality Inventory, and Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory were used.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the level of procrastination between the whole Polish and Ukrainian groups, but age was an important predictor of procrastination. Gender was not a differentiating factor within the Polish or Ukrainian group. The most stable negative set of predictors of procrastination appeared to be age, agreeableness, and inhibitory control. These traits can be helpful in dealing with procrastination tendencies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research shows that an ability to control procrastination depends more on predispositions related to personality traits than on executive function improvement linked to the maturation of the frontal lobes. Combining the demographic, personality, and executive variables showed that students in the older age groups were more resistant to procrastination.

Role of personality traits in determining the association between social participation and mental health: A cross-sectional study in Japan

The role of personality in determining the association between social participation and mental health was examined by a cross-sectional study. We analyzed data from 4981 older adults aged 65-84 years who were recruited via a mail survey in one region of Japan. We defined poor mental health using a score ≤12 points on the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index-Japanese. Personality traits were measured by 10 Item Personality Inventory-Japanese. In women, higher openness positively moderated the association between private group participation (volunteering, sports, hobby, and learning) and mental health, while higher neuroticism negatively moderated it. This study contributes to knowledge about mental health, personality, and participation. The findings provide provisional evidence about recommending private group participation for women with high openness but not those with high neuroticism.

The Kesennuma Study in Miyagi, Japan: Study Design and Baseline Profiles of Participants

BACKGROUND

To clarify the association between psychosocial problems and frailty in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and to develop strategies for preventive long-term care in the community, we launched the Kesennuma Study in 2019. This report describes the study design and the participants' profiles at baseline.

METHODS

The prospective study comprised 9,754 people (4,548 men and 5,206 women) randomly selected from community-dwelling independent adults aged 65 to 84 who were living in Kesennuma City, Miyagi. The baseline survey was conducted in October 2019. It included information on general health, socio-economic status, frailty, lifestyle, psychological factors (eg, personality, depressive moods), and social factors (eg, social isolation, social capital). A follow-up questionnaire survey is planned. Mortality, incident disability, and long-term care insurance certifications will also be collected.

RESULTS

A total of 8,150 questionnaires were returned (83.6% response rate), and 7,845 were included in the analysis (80.4%; mean age 73.6 [standard deviation, 5.5] years; 44.7% male). About 23.5% were considered frail. Regarding psychological and social functions, 42.7% had depressive moods, 29.1% were socially isolated, and only 37.0% participated in social activities at least once a month. However, 82.5% trusted their neighbors.

CONCLUSION

While local ties were strong, low social activity and poor mental health were revealed as issues in the affected area. Focusing on the association between psychological and social factors and frailty, we aim to delay the need for long-term care for as long as possible, through exercise, nutrition, social participation, and improvement of mental health.

A validation of the Japanese adaptation of the Big Five Inventory-2

The purpose of this study was to adapt a Japanese version of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2-J) to examine its factor structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance. The BFI-2-J assesses five domains and 15 facets of the Big Five personality traits. We analyzed two datasets: 487 Japanese undergraduates and 500 Japanese adults. The results of the principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the domain-facet structure of the BFI-2-J was similar to that of other language versions. The reliability of the BFI-2-J is sufficient. The correlation coefficients between the BFI-2-J and the other Big Five and self-esteem measures supported convergent and discriminant validity. Moreover, we confirmed measurement invariance across age and sex groups in domain-level and facet-level models. The results suggest that the BFI-2-J is a good instrument for measuring the Big Five personality traits and their facets in Japan. The BFI-2-J is expected to be useful in Japanese personality research and international comparative research.

Big Five Personality Traits, Social Networks, and Depression Among Older Adults in Japan: A Multiple Mediation Analysis

This study examines the mediating effect of social network size on depression among older adults in Japan in association with the Big Five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 739 older adults (Mean age = 75.13, SD = 6.86) residing in Tokyo. Multiple mediation analyses estimated total, indirect, and direct effects between personality and depression. Extraversion was associated with the number of kin and friend networks and agreeableness with the number of kin networks. Moreover, these social networks partially mediated the effects of extraversion and agreeableness on depression. The findings show that personality traits such as extraversion and agreeableness are associated with social network size, which contributes to better mental health in old age.

Association of Personality with Cognitive Failure among Japanese Middle-Aged and Older Adults

This study explored the associations between personality traits and cognitive failure (including minor lapses and prospective and retrospective memory failure) among middle-aged and older adults living in Japan. The participants were 373 adults, aged 40–84 (167 men and 206 women). The 15-item Japanese version of the Short Inventory of Minor Lapses was used to evaluate minor lapses, and the 16-item Japanese version of the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire was used to assess prospective and retrospective memory failure. The participants’ variables evaluated for their association with cognitive failure were gender, age, education, paid work, social network, chronic disease, sleep quality, and the Big Five personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). Multivariable regression analyses demonstrated that sleep quality (β = −0.232), neuroticism (β = 0.163), and conscientiousness (β = −0.295) were related to minor lapses; age (β = 0.152), sleep quality (β = −0.168), and conscientiousness (β = −0.290) were associated with prospective memory failure; and age (β = 0.268), sleep quality (β = −0.146), and conscientiousness (β = −0.221) were associated with retrospective memory failure. These findings may facilitate the development of efficient strategies for the prevention of cognitive dysfunction and its adverse consequences for personal health.

Association between conscientiousness and peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis

AIM

Peritonitis is a critical complication in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Patient characteristics, especially conscientiousness, potentially influence self-care activity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the peritonitis risk and the patient conscientiousness.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study was conducted at three Japanese medical centres in 2018. Adult patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis were evaluated for conscientiousness with the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. We followed the patients from peritoneal dialysis induction retrospectively on chart review. The primary outcome was time to first episode of peritonitis after initiation of peritoneal dialysis in the entire observation period. Hazard ratios were estimated using a Cox model adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Among 111 patients enrolled, 32 experienced peritonitis. The patients were divided into the more conscientious group (n = 64) and less conscientious group (n = 47) based on a mean conscientiousness score of 3.991. Additionally, less conscientious patients tended to be at higher risk for peritonitis during the entire study period (hazard ratio adjusted for age and sex, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-4.03; p = .057). The increased risk in the less conscientious group was statistically significant in the first year (adjusted hazard ratio, 6.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-34.40; p = .017).

CONCLUSION

Less conscientious patients significantly have shorter peritonitis-free survival in the early phase after peritoneal dialysis induction although not significantly during the entire study period. Personality trait assessment using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory could be helpful in educating and following up patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Personality and health literacy among community-dwelling older adults living in Japan

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have demonstrated that health behaviours may be one of the major mechanisms underlying the relationship between personality and health outcomes. Such health behaviours may be established by consciousness toward one's health that include health literacy. Thus, this study aimed to explore the relationship between health literacy and its correlates, including personality, among community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study with 683 older individuals (aged 60-84 years; 326 men and 357 women). A questionnaire was used to assess health literacy, personality, socioeconomic status, health status, and lifestyles. Health literacy was measured using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy Scale, which is a self-report questionnaire comprising five items assessing degrees of health literacy. The Big Five personality traits were measured using the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Other variables were measured as factors associated with health literacy, including age, gender, education, subjective economic status, social isolation, chronic diseases, functional capacity, smoking and drinking.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analysis showed that education (β = 0.10), subjective economic status (β = -0.09), social isolation (β = -0.08), functional dependence (β = -0.22), neuroticism, (β = -0.08), extraversion (β = 0.10), openness (β = 0.17), and conscientiousness (β = 0.09) were independently and significantly associated with health literacy (coefficient of determination = 0.28).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found significant and independent associations of personality, socioeconomic status, and health status with health literacy. These results may help facilitate the development of efficient strategies to improve health status by promoting health literacy in community-dwelling older adults.

Mentality and behavior in COVID-19 emergency status in Japan: Influence of personality, morality and ideology

The COVID-19 pandemic began in December 2019 and severely influenced society. In response, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency on 7th April in seven prefectures. The study conducted an immediate survey on 8th April to record the response of the general public to the first emergency status due to epidemics. The study hypothesized that personality traits, moral foundation, and political ideology can influence people's mentality, cognition, and behavior toward COVID-19. Based on a nationwide dataset of 1856 respondents (male = 56.3%, Mage = 46.7, emergency regions = 49.9%), the study found that personality, morality, and ideology altered mental health status and motivated behaviors toward COVID-19. Neuroticism and avoiding harm involved cognition and behavior through various means. The study also found significant differences among demographic groups. Results are informative and contributive to the governance and management of, and aid for, individual responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Big Five, Aesthetic Judgment Styles, and Art Interest

The current study aimed to examine the associations between the Big Five personality dimensions, aesthetic judgment styles, and art interest. Participants (N = 253) were university students in Tehran, Iran. All participants completed measures of personality, aesthetic Judgment styles, and general interest in art. Results suggested that Openness to Experience was related to advanced styles of art judgment and interest in art-related activities. Regression analyses showed that sex (β = .18, t = 3.18, p = .002), Emotional Stability (β = .14, t = 2.47, p = .01), Openness to Experience (β = .18, t = 3.14, p = .002), symbolic aesthetic judgment style (β = .31, t = 4.63, p < .001), and concrete aesthetic judgment style (β = -.19, t = -3.25, p = .001) significantly predicted art interest. The role of personality and individual difference constructs in aesthetic judgment and art interest is discussed and future directions are outlined.

Psychometric Evaluation of Chinese-Language 44-Item and 10-Item Big Five Personality Inventories, Including Correlations with Chronotype, Mindfulness and Mind Wandering

The 44-item and 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI) personality scales are widely used, but there is a lack of psychometric data for Chinese versions. Eight surveys (total N = 2,496, aged 18–82), assessed a Chinese-language BFI-44 and/or an independently translated Chinese-language BFI-10. Most BFI-44 items loaded strongly or predominantly on the expected dimension, and values of Cronbach's alpha ranged .698-.807. Test-retest coefficients ranged .694-.770 (BFI-44), and .515-.873 (BFI-10). The BFI-44 and BFI-10 showed good convergent and discriminant correlations, and expected associations with gender (females higher for agreeableness and neuroticism), and age (older age associated with more conscientiousness and agreeableness, and also less neuroticism and openness). Additionally, predicted correlations were found with chronotype (morningness positive with conscientiousness), mindfulness (negative with neuroticism, positive with conscientiousness), and mind wandering/daydreaming frequency (negative with conscientiousness, positive with neuroticism). Exploratory analysis found that the Self-discipline facet of conscientiousness positively correlated with morningness and mindfulness, and negatively correlated with mind wandering/daydreaming frequency. Furthermore, Self-discipline was found to be a mediator in the relationships between chronotype and mindfulness, and chronotype and mind wandering/daydreaming frequency. Overall, the results support the utility of the BFI-44 and BFI-10 for Chinese-language big five personality research.

Further Validity of the Japanese Version of the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J)

The Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling, Rentfrow, & Swann, 2003 ) is a widely used very brief measure of the Big Five personality dimensions. Oshio, Abe, and Cutrone (2012) have developed a Japanese version of the TIPI (TIPI-J), which demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Until now, all studies examining the validity of the TIPI-J have been conducted in the Japanese language; this reliance on a single language raises concerns about the instrument’s content validity because the instrument could demonstrate reliability (e.g., retest) and some forms of validity (e.g., convergent) but still not capture the full range of the dimensions as originally conceptualized in English. Therefore, to test the content validity of the Japanese TIPI with respect to the original Big Five formulation, we examine the convergence between scores on the TIPI-J and scores on the English-language Big Five Inventory (i.e., the BFI-E), an instrument specifically designed to optimize Big Five content coverage. Two-hundred and twenty-eight Japanese undergraduate students, who were all learning English, completed the two instruments. The results of correlation analyses and structural equation modeling demonstrate the theorized congruence between the TIPI-J and the BFI-E, supporting the content validity of the TIPI-J.