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Aim: Assessing social competence is important for clinical and preventive interventions of depression. The aim of the present paper was to examine the factor structure of the Japanese Interpersonal Competence Scale (JICS). Methods: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the survey responses of 730 participants. Simultaneous multigroup analyses were conducted to confirm factor stability across psychological health status and sex differences. Results: Two factors, which represent Perceptive Ability and Self-Restraint, were confirmed to show a moderate correlation. Perceptive Ability involves a more cognitive aspect of social competence, while Self-Restraint involves a more behavioral aspect, both of which are considered to reflect the emotion-based relating style specific to the Japanese people: indulgent dependence ( amae) and harmony ( wa). In addition, Self-Restraint may be linked to social functioning. Both constructs may confound a respondent's perceived confidence. Conclusion: Despite its shortcomings, the JICS is a unique measure of social competence in the Japanese cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many, but not all, types of antisocial personality disorders (ASP) are complicated by alcohol dependence. Therefore, some additional risk factors may exist for alcohol dependence co-occurring with ASP. We studied whether severe childhood conduct disorder and a family history of alcohol dependence are possible risk factors for the development of alcohol dependence in ASP. Methods: The subjects were 81 male Japanese criminals diagnosed with DSM-III-R ASP. Relative risks of alcohol dependence for severe conduct disorder and for a positive family history were estimated by using a multiple logistic model. Results: Forty-three subjects (53.0%) met criteria for DSM-111-R alcohol dependence. The relative risk of alcohol dependence for severe conduct disorder ( n= 44), compared with mild conduct disorder, was 4.1; whereas the relative risk for a positive family history ( n= 31), relative to a negative family history, was 1.9. Severe childhood conduct disorder was also associated with severe adulthood antisocial behavior and an earlier onset of alcohol dependence. Conclusions: The results suggest that severe childhood conduct disorder and a positive family history of alcohol dependence are independent premorbid risk factors for developing alcohol dependence among persons with ASP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]