Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the important disorders in Japan that medical care plans should be designed. The CHD is the most prominent established disorder for which socio-economic inequalities have been observed in the Western countries. Socio-economic status (SES) may become of major concern also in Japan. This article is divided into three sections. The first two sections concern backgrounds on CHD and pathways linking SES with CHD, highlighting psychosocial factors. The latter section describes clues to the prevention of CHD by means of social strategies. Social inequalities can affect CHD risk through some pathways such as health behaviours, access to health care, childhood factors and psychobiological processes, though the risk factors can be confounding each other. Although work to date on psychobiological processes and SES is not conclusive, life course epidemiology and psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinology are providing the way how social inequalities are translated into differential disease risks. Since physical and social exposures in life have long-term effects on risk of CHD or a lifestyle-related disease, it is hoped that medical care and public health education would thoroughly provided. Public health research based on social epidemiology would be effective also in Japan.

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The present study investigated the relationship between sleep onset insomnia and coping. In Study 1, the authors classified coping with sleep onset insomnia into three factors using factor analyses. These factors were as follows. Factor 1: inhibition of cognitive activity; Factor 2: engaging in other activity than sleep; and Factor 3: activation of cognitive activity. In Study 2, the authors examined the relationship among coping, pre-sleep cognitive activity, and sleep onset insomnia among 355 university students. Results indicated that all coping positively correlated with pre-sleep cognitive activity and sleep onset insomnia. A path analysis showed two paths leading sleep latency. One was an indirect path representing that cognitive coping was significantly related to pre-sleep cognitive activity, and the other was a direct path demonstrating that behavioral coping was significantly related to sleep latency. These results showed that improper coping had no functional effect for sleep onset insomnia. Development of cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia focused on decrease in improper coping, and introduction of alternative behavior is necessary, is expected.

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The present study aimed at developing a questionnaire to assess the endorsement of negative beliefs about depressive rumination, and investigating the relationship between the endorsement of the beliefs and depression. In Study 1, 465 undergraduate students completed a self-report scale consisting of items that reflect the content of negative beliefs about depressive rumination. Based on the results of factor analysis, the Negative Beliefs about Depressive Rumination Questionnaire (NBDRQ), which is of one factor structure, was developed. In Study 2, 129 undergraduate students completed the NBDRQ and measures of the beliefs about worry. The correlation coefficients among the scores on the three scales demonstrated adequate construct validity of the NBDRQ. Also, the correlation coefficients between the scores on the NBDRQ administered twice with a four-week interval to 107 undergraduate students, showed good test-retest reliability of the NBDRQ. In Study 3, 196 undergraduate students answered the NBDRQ, and measures of depressive rumination and depression. The scores on the NBDRQ were associated with depression, even after the influence of depressive rumination was controlled. The results supported the hypothesis that increased endorsement of the negative beliefs about depressive rumination was related with depression. Treatment targeting the negative beliefs about depressive rumination would effectively improve depression.

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This study was proposed to examine the reliability and validity of Japanese version of MBSS (Miller Behavioral Style Scale), measuring an individual’s dispositional coping style about critical medical and health information (e.g., cancer notification, screening). Three points were investigated: (1) statistical characteristics of the Japanese version of MBSS, (2) effects of the Japanese version of TCI (Temperament and Character Inventory)-125 subscales on the Japanese version of MBSS subscales, and (3) effects of the Japanese version of MBSS subscales on current mood states (Japanese short version of POMS). Three hundred and seventy six undergraduate students (110 male and 266 female: 18.9 ± 1.3 yr) participated in this study and completed an investigation form. As a result, blunting subscale of the Japanese version of MBSS showed low reliability and validity and monitoring subscale showed somewhat low reliability. In the future, further standardizing studies of the Japanese version of MBSS would be needed to use it in Japanese medical situations.

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