With recent improvements in understanding regarding developmental disabilities, systems to provide students with study support and reasonable accommodations have been established in higher education institutions to help individual students demonstrate their excellent abilities. However, details on the frequency of students with developmental disabilities and the need for support in Japanese universities remain unclear.
A group led by Assistant Professor Miho Adachi and Professor Mayumi Yamamoto of Gifu University's Health Administration Center conducted a survey of all new undergraduate students at Gifu University to determine the frequency and mental health condition of students presumed to have developmental disabilities. The survey was conducted within one month of admission to the university. The Japanese version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the adult attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (A-ADHD) test were used to detect developmental disabilities. The Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS)-Japanese (a mental health condition scale for university students, with higher scores indicating higher mental health risk) was used to assess students' mental health status.
Of the 711 students included in the analysis, 61 (8.58%) were considered to have developmental disabilities. Scores for seven CCAPS subscales (depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns, hostility, and family distress) in these students were significantly higher than those in the rest of the students, indicating a higher mental health risk in the former group of the students. The results were published online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Journal Information
Publication: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Title: Frequency and Mental Health Condition of Students with Developmental Disabilities Among First-Year Japanese University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06515-y
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