Hopelessness in a community population in Japan

The Japanese version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale was administered to a total of 154 community residents. The internal consistency (KR-20) was .86. The mean BHS score was 8.6 (SD = 3.9), approximately one standard deviation higher than the reported mean for an Irish general population. The BHS scores were found to be significantly correlated with the age and the number of people living together. Significant negative correlations were found with subjective physical fitness, self-confidence, satisfaction with accommodation and marital state, and adjustment in the work place. The mean BHS score was significantly higher among those individuals who had experienced early maternal or paternal death than those who had not.