Identification of common words to improve self-confidence in Japanese students with subthreshold depression
-
Kana Takahashi
, Koki Takada , Aimi Inoue , Shotaro Ohno , Masaru Tanigawa , Yoshiaki Ishihara , Hiroyuki Uchida and Kazuki Hirao
Abstract
Background
Subthreshold depression (StD) is more common than major depressive disorder.
Objective
The study aimed to identify common words to improve self-confidence in Japanese university students with StD for developing a smartphone application to help those with StD.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, words participants used to improve their self-confidence were gathered using self-report questionnaires in 154 university students in Japan. The words used to improve self-confidence were categorized using a computerized text analysis method based on the frequency of appearance.
Results
Participants were 154 male and females [StD group (n = 82) and healthy control (HC) group (n = 72); median age = 20 years]. A total of 290 words for improving self-confidence were identified. In the StD group, the keywords that appeared with the highest frequencies were “can”, “let’s try”, “good luck”, “able”, and “don’t worry”. The keywords that occurred with the highest frequencies (the top eight) were common across both groups. The keywords were grouped into eight categories. The “encouragement” and “praise” categories were found in the responses of more than 80% of participants in both groups. Frequencies of the “determination” and “trust” categories were significantly higher in the StD group than in the HC group.
Conclusions
We conclude that “can”, “let’s try”, and “good luck” are the most common words that Japanese students with StD use when describing how they improve their self-confidence. Future work will use these common words to develop a smartphone application to help those suffering from StD.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all the participants in this study. This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) (Grant number: JP16K16583). The authors have no conflicts of interest to report regarding this study.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Adverse effects of stimulant medications in children and adolescents: focus on cardiovascular issues
- Original Articles
- Factors contributing to intentional injuries in Iranian university students
- Anxiety and depression mediate the role of low self-esteem and low self-directedness in the development of eating disorders
- The effects of music therapy on transition outcomes in adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease
- Reducing barriers to primary school education for girls in rural Kenya: reusable pads’ intervention
- Pubertal gynecomastia: years of progress – the Hacettepe experience
- A web-based anger management program for parent-female adolescents’ conflicts: a cluster randomized controlled trial
- Chronic pain in high school students is associated with physical activity and sleeping hours but not with screen time
- Effect of Melissa officinalis capsule on the mental health of female adolescents with premenstrual syndrome: a clinical trial study
- Meningococcal disease awareness and meningoccocal vaccination among Greek students planning to travel abroad
- Parent educators for teenage smoking behavior
- Identification of common words to improve self-confidence in Japanese students with subthreshold depression
- Diet quality, overweight and daily monetary allowance of Greek adolescents