A research on annual medical examination of Japanese undergraduates: The relationship among physical complaints, mental symptoms, and school underachievement

Objective: Aggravation of the mental health is one of the preventive health problems identifying among various age groups in Japan. Mental illness of adolescents can cause school underachievement, school maladjustment and leaving school. The rate of leaving school before graduating is important index of higher education evaluation. Aim of this study was to investigate that interview sheet in annual medical examination have predictive effects of future school maladjustment in Japanese undergraduates. Methods: 1800 Japanese college students participated in the survey every year, that consisted of physical complaints (Asthma, epilepsy, hyperpnoea, diabetes, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, sleep disorder, eating disorder) and mental symptoms(anxiety, depression, self-harm behavior, suicide attempt). Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS and Amos. Results: Main results showed as below: (i) Physical complaints preceded mental symptoms. (ii)Seriousness of mental symptoms significantly negative correlation with the score of future academic achievement. From sequential analyses, physical and mental index turned worse, especially Japanese students than international students in Japan. The results suggest the need of early psycho-education for enhancing stress-coping ability to prevent future school maladjustment by mental and physical health consultation.