矢野 郁明

Abstract: Objectives: This study aimed to analyze Japanese youth athletes’ mental health and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the potential correlations between their demographic factors and mental health outcomes. Methods: Participants were recruited from a single high school with a student population encompassing national-level competitors (NCs), local-level competitors (LCs), and general students (i.e., others; OTs), aiming to reduce the impact of differences in environmental conditions affecting pandemic-related stress. In March 2021, the students completed an anonymous online survey comprising questions on demographics and COVID-19, as well as the following scales: Kessler 6 (K6), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the Resilience Scale. Differences and correlations among these groups’ scores were analyzed while controlling for covariates. Results: Of 1,022 students (51.3% girls), 22.3% were NCs, 38.6% were LCs, and 39.0% were OTs. NCs reported significantly lower scores on the K6, PHQ-9, and GAD-7, as well as significantly higher resilience scores, compared with LCs and OTs. Resilience scores had a significantly negative correlation with the K6, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores. Female gender, participation in cultural clubs, and indoor sports were factors associated with scores above the cut-off on each scale. COVID-19 testing, history of illness, and family history were not associated with any of the psychological evaluation measures. Conclusion: Based on responses to the self-reported questionnaires, NCs appear to have better mental health than their peers, while resilience has a potential association with improved mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Although findings from both animal and clinical research indicate that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) contributes to the pathogenesis of various psychiatric disorders (including depression), the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We investigated the levels of the tight-junction proteins claudin-5 and aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) in astrocytes of learned helplessness (LH) rats (an animal model of depression) and non-LH rats (a model of resilience). METHODS: We administered inescapable mild electric shock to rats and then identified the LH and non-LH rats by a post-shock test. The expressions of claudin-5 and AQP-4 in several brain regions of the LH and non-LH rats were then evaluated by a western blot analysis. RESULTS: The levels of both claudin-5 and AQP-4 in the CA-1 and CA-3 hippocampal areas of the LH group were significantly lower than those of the control group, whereas those of the non-LH rats were not significantly different from those of the control and LH rats. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that LH rats but not non-LH rats experienced down-regulations of claudin-5 and AQP-4 in the CA-1 and CA-3. It is possible that a region-specific modulation of claudin-5 and AQP-4 is involved in the mechanisms of vulnerability but not resilience in depression.