Mental health is important for one’s quality of life (QOL). During adolescence, healthy physical and mental development lays the foundations for a better QOL and is also an integral part of a flourishing society. On the other end of the spectrum, since we live in a hyper-aging society where it is not uncommon for people to live to 100, more and more old people are experience dementia. It is therefore necessary to create a social system that allows people with dementia to live happy healthy lives.

The Unit for Mental Health Promotion examines mental health issues that have a direct impact on the health and livelihoods of Tokyo residents, from childhood mental health issues to dementias affecting the elderly. We use research methods from both social and clinical epidemiology, including cohort studies and randomized controlled trials, to better understand the societal and environmental conditions which will enrich people's mental well-being from birth to old age. In this way, we aim to contribute towards building a society which promotes the mental health needs of the people of Tokyo and elsewhere.

Selected Publications

• Nishida A,et al (2022) ” Comparison of lithium levels between suicide and non-suicide fatalities:cross-sectional study.” Translational Psychiatry,
• Stanyon D, Nishida A , et al (2022) “Auditory hallucinations and self-injurious behavior in general population adolescents: modeling within-person effects in the Tokyo Teen Cohort.” Schizophrenia Bulletin,
• Nishida A, et al (2022) “Ethnoracial variation in risk for psychotic experiences. Schizophrenia Bulletin,“
• Nakanishi M, Nishida A, et al (2022) “Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Dementia-Related Stigma Among Mothers of Adolescents in the Pre- and Current COVID-19 Period: An Observational Study Using Population-Based Cohort Data.” Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 88 (2) 493-502.