Activity Report, Business Management Division, Stem Center【Resident support project】
We conducted this project for residents who had various concerns, such as psychological burdens after the disasteror feelings of isolation owing to changes in the community.
1.

Individual support
We responded to telephone counseling along with the Community Support Division of the Stem Center.

【Support for supporters project】
We provided support to local government officials and supporters who were burdened both physically and mentally.
We provided opportunities for training to further improve the skills of the supporters and reduce their psychologicalburden.
1.

Mental health support for supporters

We planned a training session on mental health for supporters by an external instructor, but this was not
implemented because there was no request from the local government.
2. Supporters’ club members management project
We had specialists in mental health care and people who were well versed in various fields register and receive
professional support in conducting various projects. In FY 2021, we received cooperation in lectures for general
residents and research projects.
3. Support for supporters of children’s mental care
“Psychological emergency treatment training for children” (“children’s PFA training”), where the basic methods of
psychological support in the event of a disaster were shown, was implemented as follows.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the number of face-to-face “one-day training” sessions was reduced from fourto two, and “online training” was held twice to cover basic concepts.
Table 1. Psychological emergency treatment training for children (children’s PFA training)
Date

June 2, 2021

Venue

Sendai City

Training content
Deepen teaching skills and knowledge forworkshop instructors Lecture, exercises(roleplay, group work)

Online training (first): Learn reactions thatchildren generally show in crisis situations,and learn the basics of PFA for children, such
July 29, 2021
Sendai City
as the behavioral principles of PFA and how
to communicate with stressed children
Lecture: “What is PFA for children?
Children’s reactions in crisis situations”
Online training (first): Learn reactions thatchildren generally show in crisis situations,and learn the behavioral principles of PFA
Higashimatsushima and how to communicate with stressed
August 11, 2021
children through roleplay
City
Lecture: “What is PFA for children?
Children’s reactions in crisis situations”
Exercises (roleplay, group work)
January 20, 2022
Sendai City
Online training (second): same as first
February 9, 2022
Sendai City
One-day training (second): canceled*One-day training (second session) was canceled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Targets

Number ofparticipants

Instructor
developmenttraining
participants

3

Educators(school nurses,nurseryteachers,
kindergarten
teachers)
Public healthnursesChild guidance
center staff

42

2032–

One-day training lecture4.

One-day training exercise (group work)

Longitudinal support research for children born after the Great East Japan Earthquake and their families(“Michinoku Children’s Cohort”)
In FY 2021, we conducted the “Michinoku Children’s Cohort,” which has been implemented since FY 2016, withthe purposes of helping children who were born after the earthquake disaster, evaluating changes in children andfamilies, clarifying effective support, and assisting in supporter activities in the event of future disasters.

【Public awareness project】
We conducted public awareness projects that deepened the understanding of mental health among citizens andsupporters as well as led to improvements in their mental health.
To pass on the activities of the MDMHCC as lessons for the next generation, we created and distributed a reportthat gathered knowledge and recorded the results, and then presented and publicized the results to academic societies.
1.

Annual Activity Report creation project
The Bulletin was published up to the eighth issue every fiscal year until FY 2020. After a review of the reportcontent, the Division decided that the content would be edited and published as an Annual Activity Report from FY
2021. The FY 2020 Annual Activity Report (Bulletin No. 9) was created and distributed to related organizations(1,000 copies created, distributed to 920 locations). An English version will be created and posted on the website inFY 2022.

2.

Dissemination of mental health information(1) Information dissemination through websites and blogs
We updated the introduction to the MDMHCC’s activities, published back issues of our public relations
magazine, browsed various pamphlets, provided training programs, updated them as needed, and disseminatedinformation.
To ease access to activity records and research products for international researchers and practitioners, we posted
the English version of previous bulletins and the FY 2020 Annual Activity Report (Bulletin No. 9) on our website.
(2) Creation and distribution of leaflets
Various educational materials on mental health (including those related to COVID-19) were distributed during
training sessions, health consultations, health surveys, and home visits, and also provided to municipalities uponrequest.
We also planned to distribute educational goods, such as clear files, at the children’s PFA training. However,opportunities for face-to-face training decreased owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we mailed the materials
to the participants instead (including online training).
(3) Response to various interviews
We responded to coverage and research related to the Great East Japan Earthquake by news organizations anduniversities.

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3.

Research projects associated with center activities (reprint, see “Activity Report by project item”)
Table 2. Research
Implementation
date

2021

2021

2021

2021

2021

2021
2021

2021

2021

Activitymonth

Principal
researcher

Research name

Details

31st Tohoku Occupational Therapy Congress &Looking back on the 10 years sinceExpo (held online, based in Morioka City, Iwate
Miyokothe Great East Japan Earthquake:
Prefecture, from July 1–31, 2021), remote
July
Issues revealed from health survey
Kubotapresentation at Great East Japan Earthquake
results
Symposium.
20th Japanese Society for Traumatic Stress
Reconsidering gathering places and Studies Meeting (held online, in Koriyama City,
Yuichiconnections for people through the Fukushima Prefecture, on July 17–18, 2021),
July
resumption of salon activities remote presentation at Symposium "What wasWatanabe
through the COVID-19 pandemic the impact of COVID-19 on disaster recovery
support?".
20th Japanese Society for Traumatic StressStudies Meeting (held online, in Koriyama City,
Fukushima Prefecture, on July 17–18, 2021),
Mitsuaki
From the experience of continuous
remote presentation at Symposium "Great East
July
Katayanagi support in the disaster-affected area
Japan Earthquake and recovery of regions andcommunities: What should be communicated tothe next generation?".
Longitudinal support research for20th Japanese Society for Traumatic Stresschildren born after the Great East
Studies Meeting (held online, in Koriyama City,
Japan Earthquake and their
Fukushima Prefecture, on July 17–18, 2021),
July
Naru Fukuchi
families (1): How does the mental
presented in poster session (poster sessions
health of caregivers affect children
distributed on July 17–30).
born after the Earthquake?
Longitudinal support research forchildren born after the Great East
20th Japanese Society for Traumatic Stress
Japan Earthquake and theirStudies Meeting (held online, in Koriyama City,
families (2): Examination of
Fukushima Prefecture, on July 17–18, 2021),
July
Shusaku Chiba
individual differences in parents'
presented in poster session (poster sessions
mental health and children's
distributed on July 17–30).
problematic behavior–Using alatent growth curve modelNational <Tohoku> Alcohol Abstinence
Shigeru
Tohoku today, 10 years after theMeeting 2021 (held online, based in Tokyo,OctoberOkazaki
Great East Japan Earthquake
meeting on October 10, 2021), presentation.
Creation of the FY2020 Annual FY2020 Annual Activity Report (Bulletin No. 9)
October
Takao Tanno
Activity Report (Bulletin No. 9)
created and distributed to 920 locations.
Ami National Community Life Support Council
for People with Mental Disabilities “Ami 24th
Our “thinking on reconstruction”: National Meeting@online” (held online, basedYuichi
10 years after the Great East Japan in Tokyo, meeting on November 26–27, 2021),November
Watanaberemote presentation in panel discussion "'10Earthquake
years of businesses and support' – What is'recovery'?".
FY2021 Japanese Alcohol, Nicotine & Drug
Addiction Conference (joint meeting by the 56th
Japanese Medical Society of Alcohol andSupport for reducing alcohol
Addiction Studies Meeting and 43rd Japanese
consumption in disaster-affected
Society of Alcohol-Related Problems Meeting,
December Akemi Ozaki areas: Salon initiatives andevent held at Mie Prefectural General Culturaldevelopment of support forCenter as hybrid venue, administrative officereducing alcohol consumption
was Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, session held
December 17–19, 2021), oral presentation in
online session.

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4.

Ethics committee management projectIn FY 2021, the planned ethics committee for the scheduled academic conference, for which registration waspostponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, could not be held.

【Other】
1.

Business statistics data management
We continued the operation of the business statistics system and individual support system. We reported at national,
prefectural, and various other meetings, and analyzed activities, such as changes over time.

2.

Staff training
General meetings were held twice a year, in which all staff participated as a general rule. These meetings served asa venue for confirming the direction of management and details of project plans, and for sharing information. Owing
to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings were held online. We also urged the staff to attend external training as
recommended training for them to acquire suitable skills and knowledge.

【Summary】
FY 2020 marked the end of 10 years of activities for the MDMHCC, and the year when the first phase of activities
came to an end. From FY 2021, activities will be conducted based on the Second Operation Plan (FY 2021–2025),
toward the end of activities in FY 2025. In the Second Operation Plan, some of the projects in the first phase have
either been concluded or transferred to other organizations, and the projects have been concentrated to the three pillarsof “resident support,” “support for supporters,” and “public awareness campaigns.”
The Business Management Division (“Division”) has also concluded and transferred the “human resource
development project (disaster-related specialized training and alcohol-related problem on-the-job training)” that had
been implemented until FY 2020. Additionally, although the Children’s Mental Health Care Community-BasedProject, which was commissioned by Miyagi Prefecture, has ended, the “Michinoku Children’s Cohort” and“Children’s PFA Training” have been continued as projects that have been subsidized by the prefecture.
In the implementation of each project, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has lasted longer than initially thought.
In the case of the Division, face-to-face meetings are considered natural or effective in training and public awarenesscampaigns. There were issues with shifting to non-face-to-face meetings. Meanwhile, the online method has thefeature of facilitating the participation of many people at once, and we also had to consider how to utilize thisadvantage.
The MDMHCC will be closed in FY 2025. The issues of psychological care for victims have not been resolved,
but rather seem to have become multi-layered and complicated. Given these circumstances, the focus of the Division
has shifted to summarizing the knowledge of the MDMHCC’s activities and determining how to leave it to future
generations.
We wish to continue to work while cooperating with municipalities, prefectures (public health centers, the Mental
Health and Welfare Center), and local stakeholders to promote the transition of the role of the MDMHCC andcontribute to the “improvement of community mental health welfare in disaster-affected areas.” At the same time, wewould like to review the role that the MDMHCC has played and endeavor to pass on our knowledge to future
generations.

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