Yasu Kotera
@yasukotera.bsky.social
AscProf at UofNottingham & CollabResearcher at OsakaU #CrossCulture #MentalHealth. A dad of #triplets+1. BACP AccredPsychotherapist. REACH-global.org
Forest > city (for immunity potential) 🌲 RCT (Scientific Reports @springernature.com 2025; n=84 men 40–70) compared a 90-min forest vs urban walk. Forest walking ↑ salivary sIgA (mucosal immunity), ↓ cortisol, ↑ dopamine, and improved mood.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Forest > city (for immunity potential) 🌲 RCT (Scientific Reports @springernature.com 2025; n=84 men 40–70) compared a 90-min forest vs urban walk. Forest walking ↑ salivary sIgA (mucosal immunity), ↓ cortisol, ↑ dopamine, and improved mood.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The effort moralisation effect (more effort➡️seen as moral) replicated both in Germany🇩🇪 & Mexico🇲🇽 but larger in Germany. No support for the idea that younger people moralise effort less. @ucpress.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1525/coll...
doi.org/10.1525/coll...
Is It Worth the Hustle? A Multi-Country Replication of the Effort Moralization Effect and an Extension to Generational Differences in the Appreciation of Effort
Inferring moral character of individuals is an adaptive need for social decision-making. The effort moralization effect describes the finding that people who exert more effort in a task are seen as mo...
doi.org
January 11, 2026 at 6:41 AM
The effort moralisation effect (more effort➡️seen as moral) replicated both in Germany🇩🇪 & Mexico🇲🇽 but larger in Germany. No support for the idea that younger people moralise effort less. @ucpress.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1525/coll...
doi.org/10.1525/coll...
Jess’s systematic review is online: school-based climate change literacy programmes for children. 12/16 included resilience-building (active learning, problem-solving, community engagement), but only 2 explicitly supported emotional wellbeing @eerjournal.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1080/1350...
doi.org/10.1080/1350...
Building resilience and supporting emotional well-being in climate change education: a systematic review of school-based climate change literacy programmes for children
As climate change education becomes increasingly urgent, there is growing concern about how such education affects children’s mental health. This systematic review examined whether school-based cli...
doi.org
January 9, 2026 at 6:03 AM
Jess’s systematic review is online: school-based climate change literacy programmes for children. 12/16 included resilience-building (active learning, problem-solving, community engagement), but only 2 explicitly supported emotional wellbeing @eerjournal.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1080/1350...
doi.org/10.1080/1350...
Financial strain predicts poorer mental health & life satisfaction but the mental health hit isn’t equal. 13-wave UKHLS fixed-effects (2009–2022; 58k): stronger association for Black adults vs White; stronger for Indian, weaker for Chinese @springernature.com
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Racial/ethnic Variations in the Association Between Financial Strain and Well-Being: Evidence from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey - Applied Research in Quality of Life
Financial strain is a major social stressor that adversely affects well-being, yet few studies have comprehensively examined whether its association differs by race/ethnicity. This study investigates ...
link.springer.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:11 AM
Financial strain predicts poorer mental health & life satisfaction but the mental health hit isn’t equal. 13-wave UKHLS fixed-effects (2009–2022; 58k): stronger association for Black adults vs White; stronger for Indian, weaker for Chinese @springernature.com
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Hard copy arrived 📕 Purpose in Life as Ancient but Nascent, published in @cambridge.org
Our chapter: “Self-Compassion and Ikigai” (Kotera, Wilkes, Colman). Hope readers find it helpful!
Our chapter: “Self-Compassion and Ikigai” (Kotera, Wilkes, Colman). Hope readers find it helpful!
January 6, 2026 at 5:19 AM
Hard copy arrived 📕 Purpose in Life as Ancient but Nascent, published in @cambridge.org
Our chapter: “Self-Compassion and Ikigai” (Kotera, Wilkes, Colman). Hope readers find it helpful!
Our chapter: “Self-Compassion and Ikigai” (Kotera, Wilkes, Colman). Hope readers find it helpful!
Do happiness activities work the same way across cultures? Layous et al tested gratitude letters + act of kindness in US & South Korea 6 wks. Kindness ⬆️ wellbeing in both; gratitude helped less in Korea possibly due to mixed feelings in dialectical culture.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Culture Matters When Designing a Successful Happiness-Increasing Activity - Kristin Layous, Hyunjung Lee, Incheol Choi, Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2013
Research shows that performing positive activities, such as expressing gratitude and doing acts of kindness, boosts happiness. But do specific positive activiti...
journals.sagepub.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Do happiness activities work the same way across cultures? Layous et al tested gratitude letters + act of kindness in US & South Korea 6 wks. Kindness ⬆️ wellbeing in both; gratitude helped less in Korea possibly due to mixed feelings in dialectical culture.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
New evidence synthesis: compassion for others linked to wellbeing@springernature.com
Zhuniq et al meta-analysed 54 effect sizes: found a moderate positive association btn compassion for others and wellbeing->consistent across psychological, cognitive, social wellbeing
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Zhuniq et al meta-analysed 54 effect sizes: found a moderate positive association btn compassion for others and wellbeing->consistent across psychological, cognitive, social wellbeing
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Compassion for others and well-being: a meta-analysis - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Compassion for others and well-being: a meta-analysis
www.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:03 AM
New evidence synthesis: compassion for others linked to wellbeing@springernature.com
Zhuniq et al meta-analysed 54 effect sizes: found a moderate positive association btn compassion for others and wellbeing->consistent across psychological, cognitive, social wellbeing
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Zhuniq et al meta-analysed 54 effect sizes: found a moderate positive association btn compassion for others and wellbeing->consistent across psychological, cognitive, social wellbeing
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A quick year-end snapshot (Google Scholar): 52 papers, 1,980 citations in 2025.
Grateful to all collaborators 🙏
Here’s to 2026: more learning, more collaboration, and meaningful impact!
Grateful to all collaborators 🙏
Here’s to 2026: more learning, more collaboration, and meaningful impact!
December 31, 2025 at 5:36 AM
A quick year-end snapshot (Google Scholar): 52 papers, 1,980 citations in 2025.
Grateful to all collaborators 🙏
Here’s to 2026: more learning, more collaboration, and meaningful impact!
Grateful to all collaborators 🙏
Here’s to 2026: more learning, more collaboration, and meaningful impact!
Happiness isn’t always “more is better”. In 61 countries, “happiness maximization” is most common in WEIRD societies. Authors link it to benign ecology (e.g., Gulf Stream NW Europe) and warn against universalising it in policy. @journals.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Happiness Maximization Is a WEIRD Way of Living - Kuba Krys, Olga Kostoula, Wijnand A. P. van Tilburg, Oriana Mosca, J. Hannah Lee, Fridanna Maricchiolo, Aleksandra Kosiarczyk, Agata Kocimska-Bortnows...
Psychological science tends to treat subjective well-being and happiness synonymously. We start from the assumption that subjective well-being is more than bein...
journals.sagepub.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Happiness isn’t always “more is better”. In 61 countries, “happiness maximization” is most common in WEIRD societies. Authors link it to benign ecology (e.g., Gulf Stream NW Europe) and warn against universalising it in policy. @journals.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Congratulations to REACH members (Research Ensemble for Advancement in Cross-cultural Healthcare)! 🎉 40 publications in 2025, bringing our long-term average to 27.25 publications/year. It’s not all about numbers, but it’s one way to show the synergy of our collaborative effort 😀
December 29, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Congratulations to REACH members (Research Ensemble for Advancement in Cross-cultural Healthcare)! 🎉 40 publications in 2025, bringing our long-term average to 27.25 publications/year. It’s not all about numbers, but it’s one way to show the synergy of our collaborative effort 😀
Nature isn’t a luxury; it’s mental health infrastructure: linked to lower stress/psychiatric symptoms & better mood. Benefits are often greatest in disadvantaged areas. Scale nature prescriptions, urban greening, and nature-friendly wards. www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/nature-...
Nature Nurtures: Evidence for Nature’s Impact on Mental Well-Being | Psychiatric Times
Discover how access to nature enhances mental health, promoting healing and resilience through green spaces and innovative therapeutic practices.
www.psychiatrictimes.com
December 28, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Nature isn’t a luxury; it’s mental health infrastructure: linked to lower stress/psychiatric symptoms & better mood. Benefits are often greatest in disadvantaged areas. Scale nature prescriptions, urban greening, and nature-friendly wards. www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/nature-...
Noelia’s new paper is out, nice work! 🇪🇸🇯🇵 Spain n=260 vs Japan n=177: social support protects against depression & suicidal ideation; perceived burdensomeness is a strong predictor in both; interpersonal competence protective mainly in Japan.
www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/16...
www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/16...
www.mdpi.com
December 25, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Noelia’s new paper is out, nice work! 🇪🇸🇯🇵 Spain n=260 vs Japan n=177: social support protects against depression & suicidal ideation; perceived burdensomeness is a strong predictor in both; interpersonal competence protective mainly in Japan.
www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/16...
www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/16...
Well done, Sue! New paper: “Depression across cultures: MDD in China vs the US”. Prevalence gaps may reflect culture + diagnosis (incl. “neurasthenia”), not just burden. @tandfresearch.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Depression across cultures: a comparison of major depressive disorder in China and the United States
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a widespread and debilitating condition, yet its prevalence and manifestation vary significantly across cultures. This paper compares MDD in China and the United ...
www.tandfonline.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Well done, Sue! New paper: “Depression across cultures: MDD in China vs the US”. Prevalence gaps may reflect culture + diagnosis (incl. “neurasthenia”), not just burden. @tandfresearch.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Lifestyle behaviours shape mental health, but are underused in care. New lifestyle psychiatry framework (43 contributors, 15 countries) maps key domains + behaviour-change barriers, with an equity and recovery lens. @bmj.com Mental Health
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
Lifestyle psychiatry: a conceptual framework for application in mental healthcare and support
Lifestyle-related behaviours—such as sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, disrupted sleep and substance use—are increasingly recognised as important factors in the onset and persi...
mentalhealth.bmj.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Lifestyle behaviours shape mental health, but are underused in care. New lifestyle psychiatry framework (43 contributors, 15 countries) maps key domains + behaviour-change barriers, with an equity and recovery lens. @bmj.com Mental Health
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
Grateful for my @springernature.com Year in Research 2025 summary.
📊 115k+ accesses
📚 381 citations
📝 8 new articles w Springer Nature
A reflection of generous collaborators and research that’s travelling beyond academia. Thank you all. yir.sn.pub/fOSpIC #SNAuthors #YiR2025
📊 115k+ accesses
📚 381 citations
📝 8 new articles w Springer Nature
A reflection of generous collaborators and research that’s travelling beyond academia. Thank you all. yir.sn.pub/fOSpIC #SNAuthors #YiR2025
Year in research 2025
Explore a personalised summary of your research's reach and impact in 2025 and share highlights with friends and colleagues.
yir.sn.pub
December 20, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Grateful for my @springernature.com Year in Research 2025 summary.
📊 115k+ accesses
📚 381 citations
📝 8 new articles w Springer Nature
A reflection of generous collaborators and research that’s travelling beyond academia. Thank you all. yir.sn.pub/fOSpIC #SNAuthors #YiR2025
📊 115k+ accesses
📚 381 citations
📝 8 new articles w Springer Nature
A reflection of generous collaborators and research that’s travelling beyond academia. Thank you all. yir.sn.pub/fOSpIC #SNAuthors #YiR2025
Dev did an amazing job leading this paper: Validating the Nepalese Short Attitudes Toward Mental Health Problems Scale (N-SATMHPS) 👏🇳🇵
A 14-item, culturally sensitive stigma scale with strong psychometric properties (n = 1,187).
www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22...
A 14-item, culturally sensitive stigma scale with strong psychometric properties (n = 1,187).
www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22...
www.mdpi.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Dev did an amazing job leading this paper: Validating the Nepalese Short Attitudes Toward Mental Health Problems Scale (N-SATMHPS) 👏🇳🇵
A 14-item, culturally sensitive stigma scale with strong psychometric properties (n = 1,187).
www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22...
A 14-item, culturally sensitive stigma scale with strong psychometric properties (n = 1,187).
www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22...
Cultural Prompting Improves Empathy & Cultural Responsiveness of GPT Therapy Responses
For Chinese American caregivers, cultural prompts made GPT-4o significantly more empathetic&culturally attuned, while DeepSeek-V3 didn't. Cultural responsiveness mediated empathy
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00014
For Chinese American caregivers, cultural prompts made GPT-4o significantly more empathetic&culturally attuned, while DeepSeek-V3 didn't. Cultural responsiveness mediated empathy
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00014
Cultural Prompting Improves the Empathy and Cultural Responsiveness of GPT-Generated Therapy Responses
Large Language Model (LLM)-based conversational agents offer promising solutions for mental health support, but lack cultural responsiveness for diverse populations. This study evaluated the effective...
arxiv.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Cultural Prompting Improves Empathy & Cultural Responsiveness of GPT Therapy Responses
For Chinese American caregivers, cultural prompts made GPT-4o significantly more empathetic&culturally attuned, while DeepSeek-V3 didn't. Cultural responsiveness mediated empathy
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00014
For Chinese American caregivers, cultural prompts made GPT-4o significantly more empathetic&culturally attuned, while DeepSeek-V3 didn't. Cultural responsiveness mediated empathy
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00014
Simulated patient encounters can help medical students’ cross-cultural sensitivity and confidence. 15hr training in Poland improved students’ intercultural sensitivity and skills; participants describing the sessions as authentic and highly useful🇵🇱
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Bridging the cultural divide: Simulated patient encounters to enhance medical students’ cross-cultural competences – A pilot study
There is an increasing awareness of the need to include culture sensitive actions and knowledge in the medical curriculum to ensure quality care for the growing number of culturally and linguistically...
journals.plos.org
December 16, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Simulated patient encounters can help medical students’ cross-cultural sensitivity and confidence. 15hr training in Poland improved students’ intercultural sensitivity and skills; participants describing the sessions as authentic and highly useful🇵🇱
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
New review shows nature-based interventions support people with acquired brain injury (ABI) across recovery 🌿🧠
Nature improves depression, anxiety, mood and QoL, even when exposure is incidental.
More research needed in acute care + co-design w ppl w ABI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nature improves depression, anxiety, mood and QoL, even when exposure is incidental.
More research needed in acute care + co-design w ppl w ABI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nature-based interventions and nature interaction for people with acquired brain injury: A systematic scoping review
Substantial evidence demonstrates natural environments benefit human health, but lesser known is specific knowledge on benefits for people with acquir…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
New review shows nature-based interventions support people with acquired brain injury (ABI) across recovery 🌿🧠
Nature improves depression, anxiety, mood and QoL, even when exposure is incidental.
More research needed in acute care + co-design w ppl w ABI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nature improves depression, anxiety, mood and QoL, even when exposure is incidental.
More research needed in acute care + co-design w ppl w ABI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New BMJ non-inferiority trial (n=200, age ≥50) compared tai chi with the first-line treatment, CBT-I.
At 3Ms, tai chi was inferior to CBT-I, but at 15Ms, it was not. No adverse events. Both improved. Tai chi can be a viable long-term option for insomnia. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
At 3Ms, tai chi was inferior to CBT-I, but at 15Ms, it was not. No adverse events. Both improved. Tai chi can be a viable long-term option for insomnia. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Tai chi or cognitive behavioural therapy for treating insomnia in middle aged and older adults: randomised non-inferiority trial
Objective To assess whether tai chi is non-inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the first line treatment, for managing chronic insomnia in middle aged and older adults.
Des...
www.bmj.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
New BMJ non-inferiority trial (n=200, age ≥50) compared tai chi with the first-line treatment, CBT-I.
At 3Ms, tai chi was inferior to CBT-I, but at 15Ms, it was not. No adverse events. Both improved. Tai chi can be a viable long-term option for insomnia. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
At 3Ms, tai chi was inferior to CBT-I, but at 15Ms, it was not. No adverse events. Both improved. Tai chi can be a viable long-term option for insomnia. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Nature exposure in VR reduces stress & boosts brain function. A new study using immersive virtual environments (IVEs) and EEG found that short-term exposure to urban forests leads to better attention (stronger theta waves) & lower cognitive burden. 🌳
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The restorative effects of short-term exposure to nature in immersive virtual environments (IVEs) as evidenced by participants' brain activities
Short-term exposure to nature has excellent potential to be used as a public health intervention measure. Nevertheless, the physiological and psycholo…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 10, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Nature exposure in VR reduces stress & boosts brain function. A new study using immersive virtual environments (IVEs) and EEG found that short-term exposure to urban forests leads to better attention (stronger theta waves) & lower cognitive burden. 🌳
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
This 2021 systematic review (65 studies, 2008–2020) shows most mental health prevention & promotion interventions are cost-effective. School-based screening + CBT, parenting support, & workplace programmes show strong value. More evidence needed in LMICs.
journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...
journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...
Cost-effectiveness evidence of mental health prevention and promotion interventions: A systematic review of economic evaluations
In a systematic review, Long Khanh-Dao Le and colleagues investigate the cost effectiveness of mental health interventions among children, adolescents, and adults.
journals.plos.org
December 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
This 2021 systematic review (65 studies, 2008–2020) shows most mental health prevention & promotion interventions are cost-effective. School-based screening + CBT, parenting support, & workplace programmes show strong value. More evidence needed in LMICs.
journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...
journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...
A colleague asked me to think about the design of a table for our next paper… so I Googled ‘table design ideas’ and got this 😆
December 6, 2025 at 5:46 AM
A colleague asked me to think about the design of a table for our next paper… so I Googled ‘table design ideas’ and got this 😆
Natural England’s TIN182 highlights the importance of recognising diverse needs, using digital tools, and co-creating nature experiences to support wellbeing and belonging for people with disabilities. www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecol...
British Ecological Society
www.britishecologicalsociety.org
December 4, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Natural England’s TIN182 highlights the importance of recognising diverse needs, using digital tools, and co-creating nature experiences to support wellbeing and belonging for people with disabilities. www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecol...
Even short (10–20 min) exposure to virtual nature can reduce stress & boost cognitive performance. This 2023 study shows stronger theta activity and greater functional connectivity in brain during VR nature exposure: effortless processing and restorative effects. doi.org/10.1016/j.je...
December 2, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Even short (10–20 min) exposure to virtual nature can reduce stress & boost cognitive performance. This 2023 study shows stronger theta activity and greater functional connectivity in brain during VR nature exposure: effortless processing and restorative effects. doi.org/10.1016/j.je...