Department of Preventive Intervention for Psychiatric Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8553, Japan.
BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Oct 17;23(1):761. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05235-4.
Financial debt has been linked to poorer mental health. However, most research has been undertaken in western countries. This study examined the association between financial debt, worry about debt, and mental health in Japan, where there has been little specific focus on debt and its effects on mental health.
Data were analyzed from 3717 respondents collected in an online survey in 2023. Information on financial debt and worry about debt was collected with single-item questions. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale were used to respectively collect information on depression and anxiety symptoms, while a single-item measure was used to obtain information on a recent history of suicidal ideation. Logistic regression was used to assess associations.
Both financial debt (17.7%) and worry about debt (14.8%) were prevalent in the study sample. In fully adjusted analyses, compared to those with no debt and worry about debt, individuals who were worried about debt but had no debt, or who had debts and were worried about debt had significantly higher odds for suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms. In contrast, having debt but not being worried about debt was not associated with any of the mental health outcomes.
The results of this study suggest that worrying about debt is strongly associated with poorer mental health among Japanese adults. Interventions to address debt and its associated worries may be important for improving public mental health in Japan.
财务债务与心理健康较差有关。然而，大多数研究都是在西方国家进行的。本研究在日本考察了财务债务、对债务的担忧与心理健康之间的关系，日本对债务及其对心理健康的影响的具体关注较少。
2023 年，对通过在线调查收集的 3717 名受访者的数据进行了分析。使用单项问题收集财务债务和对债务的担忧信息。使用患者健康问卷（PHQ-9）和广泛性焦虑症 7 项量表（GAD-7）分别收集抑郁和焦虑症状信息，同时使用单项测量收集近期自杀意念信息。使用逻辑回归评估相关性。
在研究样本中，财务债务（17.7%）和对债务的担忧（14.8%）都很普遍。在完全调整分析中，与无债务和对债务不担忧的人相比，仅对债务感到担忧但无债务的人，或有债务且对债务感到担忧的人，自杀意念和抑郁症状的几率明显更高。相比之下，有债务但不担心债务与任何心理健康结果均无关。
本研究结果表明，对债务的担忧与日本成年人较差的心理健康密切相关。针对债务及其相关担忧的干预措施可能对改善日本公众心理健康很重要。
