Ryo Horita

University students worldwide face increasing mental health challenges. Yet, research on the effectiveness of campus-based counseling in Japan is limited. This study evaluated changes in psychological symptoms among Japanese university students receiving counseling, using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms—Japanese version (CCAPS-Japanese). Data were collected from 99 students at a national Japanese university who voluntarily sought counseling between November 2021 and July 2024. They completed the CCAPS-Japanese pre- and post-counseling. Outcomes were analyzed using paired t -tests and effect sizes across sex, therapy status (terminated or interrupted), and number of sessions attended (short-term [2 sessions], mid-term [3–10 sessions], or long-term [≥ 11 sessions]). Students showed significant improvements in depression, generalized anxiety, thought disturbances, and suicidal ideation. Effect sizes ranged from moderate to large. Improvements were noted regardless of sex or therapy status, although sex-specific patterns emerged: male students showed improvements in social anxiety and depression, whereas female students showed improvements in hostility. Both the terminated and interrupted groups exhibited significant symptom reductions; however, only the terminated group improved in academic distress. Furthermore, mid-term counseling yielded the most consistent improvements, whereas short-term counseling yielded no significant changes. Counseling effectively reduces key psychological symptoms among Japanese university students, particularly depression and anxiety. Mid-term interventions appear most beneficial for achieving therapeutic impact. These findings empirically support university counseling services in Japan and highlight the need for continued investment in and outcome monitoring of student mental health programs.

Aim: We analyzed university students' mental health to inform culturally tailored interventions within university counseling services, focusing on race and religion as key variables. Methods: Data were collected over 5 years from students at X University attending their first counseling session ( N = 9373). Participants completed the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS). Differences in CCAPS scores were examined using a one‐way multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Asian American students had high depression and hostility scores, whereas White students had lower distress scores. Asian American students scored the highest in potential thought disturbance and suicidal thoughts. Hindu and Jewish students scored the highest and lowest in depression, respectively. Conclusion: University students' mental health varies significantly by race and religion, underscoring the importance of culturally competent interventions within university counseling centers. This highlights the need for implementing targeted and tailored mental health strategies among diverse student populations.

Aims: The application of indices in the context of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unexplored. We aimed to validate the ability of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fatty liver index (FLI), and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) to identify MASLD during health checkups.Methods: We recruited 627 participants and utilized their health checkup data and ultrasound to assess the potential of using ALT, FLI, and HSI as indices for MASLD; this was indicated by the area under the curve (AUC) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model. The optimal, rule‐out (sensitivity ≥90%), and rule‐in (specificity ≥90%) cutoff values of each index for identifying MASLD were reported.Results: Among participants with a median age of 46 years, the prevalence of MASLD was 28% in total (38% in males and 18% in females). RCS models confirmed a linear association between indices and MASLD. ROC analyses indicated that the AUC of ALT in identifying MASLD was 0.79 for the total cohort, 0.81 for males, and 0.69 for females. The optimal, rule‐out, and rule‐in cutoff values for ALT were 21, 13, and 29, respectively. Similarly, the AUC of FLI/HSI in identifying MASLD was 0.90/0.88 for the total cohort, 0.86/0.85 for males, and 0.93/0.90 for females. Considering the reference cutoff values, distinct cutoff values were observed between the sexes for FLI, while HSI had similar cutoff values.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that ALT > 30 IU/L is a reasonable cutoff value to rule‐in MASLD. ALT, FLI, and HSI are reliable indices for identifying MASLD during health checkups.

This study compared the effects of academic year, college department, and undergraduate or graduate status on Japanese students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021–2023, an online survey was conducted using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Systems-Japanese (CCAPS-Japanese) to evaluate students’ mental health; 9395 undergraduate students (4623 female, 4772 male) and 1169 graduate students (380 female, 789 male) responded. Undergraduate students in medicine had lower levels of depression, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety than those in other departments. Engineering students exhibited the highest level of academic distress. First-year students had the highest levels of generalized and social anxiety but the lowest level of academic distress. Second-year students had the lowest level of depression, and third-year students had the highest level of academic distress. Among graduate students, first-year students had higher levels of depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, and hostility than second-year students. Undergraduates had poorer mental health than graduate students. Females had higher levels of eating concerns than males among undergraduate students. This study revealed that the mental health of university students was affected by various factors. These findings demonstrate the characteristics of university students requiring early support.

This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence and characteristics of steatotic liver disease (SLD) based on a recently introduced nomenclature in the Japanese health checkup population. SLD was evaluated using liver ultrasonography, and participants were categorized into metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction and alcohol associated steatotic liver disease (MetALD), alcohol-associated/related liver disease (ALD), and cryptogenic SLD groups. The prevalence and characteristics of the SLD subclasses were assessed, and subgroup analyses were conducted for the non-obese (body mass index [BMI] ≤ 25 kg/m²) and lean (BMI ≤ 23 kg/m²) populations. Among the 694 participants, with a median age of 47 years and comprising 54% males, the prevalence of MASLD, MetALD, ALD, and cryptogenic SLD was 26%, 2%, 1%, and 2%, respectively. A remarkable difference was observed in the prevalence of SLD subclasses according to age, sex, and BMI. Subgroup analyses revealed heterogeneous demographic, clinical, and biochemical parameters between the SLD categories. Individuals with MetALD had higher gamma-glutamyl transferase levels, lower platelet counts, and higher fibrosis-4 index than did those with MASLD. Furthermore, the prevalence of non-obese and lean MASLD was 13% and 6%, respectively. This study provides preliminary information on the prevalence of SLD based on a new nomenclature in the Japanese population.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is continuing unabated in Japan, as of October 2021. We aimed to compare first-year university students’ psychological distress before the pandemic in 2019, during the pandemic in 2020, and one year after the onset of the pandemic, in 2021. Methods: The study conducted online surveys over three years from April to May each year. Participants were 400 first-year students in 2019, 766 in 2020, and 738 in 2021. We examined differences in scores on the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms—Japanese version (CCAPS-Japanese) between the three years using a one-way analysis of variance, and differences in the CCAPS-Japanese critical items using chi-squared test and residual analysis. Results: The average scores on the Depression and Generalized Anxiety subscale in 2021 were significantly higher than those in 2020, but remained the same as in 2019. The Academic Distress subscale score in 2020 was the worst compared to 2019 and 2021. Meanwhile, the number of students who experienced severe suicidal ideation increased year by year from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion: The mean mental health of first-year university students worsened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovered to the pre-pandemic level over the next two years. However, the number of high-risk students with suicidal ideation continued to increase. A system is required for early detection and support for students at high risk of mental health issues.