Development and validation of the Japanese version of the psychological preparedness for disaster threat scale

A nationwide online survey supports the reliability and validity of a 23-item Japanese measure of psychological preparedness for hydro-meteorological hazards, according to the study abstract. The Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale–Japanese version (PPDTS-J23) was developed to assess preparedness in the Japanese context, where instruments have tended to emphasize behavioral and material aspects of disaster preparedness rather than psychological readiness. The research was published in BMC Psychology on 22 September 2026.

The study involved 773 participants in a nationwide online survey, with a subsample of 191 completing a follow-up survey one month later for test-retest analysis. Investigators examined the factor structure through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, randomly dividing the main sample into two subsamples for cross-validation. They also assessed measurement invariance across sex and age groups, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. The abstract describes this as a psychometric validation study, not an intervention trial, so the reported results concern measurement properties rather than the effects of a disaster-preparedness program.

Exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a three-factor structure covering knowledge and management of the external situational environment, management of one’s emotional and psychological response, and management of one’s social environment. The confirmatory factor model showed adequate fit, with a comparative fit index of 0.942 and a root mean square error of approximation of 0.062. The total PPDTS-J23 score had high internal consistency, with alpha equal to 0.956. Alpha values for the three subscales were 0.919, 0.936 and 0.827, while measurement invariance was supported across sex and age groups. Convergent validity was supported, but discriminant validity was only partially supported.

Test-retest reliability was acceptable for the total score, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.780 at the one-month follow-up. The coefficient for the social-environment subscale was lower, at 0.657, below the criterion adopted by the researchers. These findings indicate that the PPDTS-J23 can serve as a reliable measure of psychological preparedness for hydro-meteorological hazards in Japan, while the partially supported discriminant validity and lower reliability for one subscale bound the conclusions. The abstract states that the scale may be used to evaluate disaster-education program outcomes, characterize groups’ preparedness profiles, inform community-based disaster-risk reduction and support mental-health planning. Because the available report is the abstract of an accepted article that remains subject to further edits, it does not provide the full methods or results needed to assess those proposed applications directly.

Subject of Research: Psychometric validation of a Japanese scale for psychological preparedness against hydro-meteorological hazards

Article Title: Development and validation of the Japanese version of the psychological preparedness for disaster threat scale

Article References: Kubo, T., Takamoto, M., Suzuki, M., Takenouchi, K., & Sadamitsu, C. (2026). Development and validation of the Japanese version of the psychological preparedness for disaster threat scale. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05639-3

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05639-3

Keywords: psychological preparedness, disaster risk, Japan, psychometric validation, survey research, typhoons, flooding, severe storms, measurement invariance, disaster education, Development, validation