The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Community-Based Cohort Study^*1 (TMM CommCohort Study) has aggregated the data of approximately 7,000 participating residents who were recruited at specific health checkup sites established by municipalities in Miyagi Prefecture in 2013.

-The survey results showed that 28% of the residents had high levels of depressive symptoms (CES-D^*2 score of 16 and above). The proportion of the depressed population was relatively higher in coastal areas than in inland areas with a significantly higher odds ratio of 1.4 after adjusting for gender and age.

-The survey results showed that 4% of the residents felt difficulty in daily life due to Posttraumatic Stress Reaction (PTSR). The proportion of residents affected by PTSR was relatively higher in coastal areas than in inland areas with a significantly higher odds ratio of 2.4 after adjusting for gender and age.

-On the other hand, in the same communities affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, there was no significant difference between coastal and inland areas in the ratio of residents who showed indicators for somatic problems - including Helicobacter pylori infection, which can cause various gastric problems - and raised NT-proBNP levels used as a marker for potential heart failure.
Staff psychologists from the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, have provided support in more than 600 cases of face-to-face or telephone-based consultations for participants who showed severe psychological problems in the survey.

*1: Cohort study is a study in which groups of people with certain characteristics are followed over time to determine the relationship between diseases and factors such as the environment, lifestyle and genetic makeup.
*2: CES-D (the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) is a screening test for depression symptoms, comprising 20 questions developed by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the U.S. It is a highly versatile test that is used worldwide.

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The first round of aggregate findings from the community resident cohort study in the first year-27% of study participants showed depressive tendencies, 5% showed signs of PTSD- (Feb. 27, 2014)
Cohort Study and Biobank
Group of Community Based Cohort Study

Contact

(Press officer)
Tohoku University Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization
Fuji Nagami
Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-7923
E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)