Hisao Nakai | Disaster Management | Applied Scientist Award

Published on by Applied Scientist

Dr. Hisao Nakai | Disaster Management | Applied Scientist Award

University of Kochi | Japan

Dr. Hisao Nakai’s research centers on public health, nursing science, mental health care, and disaster-related health outcomes, with a strong focus on vulnerable populations such as older adults, individuals with psychiatric disorders, family caregivers, and frontline healthcare workers. His work provides critical insights into how major public health emergencies—including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake—shape behavioral health patterns, continuity of medical care, evacuation decisions, and psychological well-being. Dr. Hisao Nakai’s has contributed impactful studies on outpatient care adherence among psychiatric patients following earthquakes, the factors associated with worsening psychiatric symptoms in home-based patients during disasters, and the complex proxy decision-making processes experienced by care managers supporting older adults living alone. His research also advances understanding of healthcare workforce sustainability by examining turnover intentions among nurses, employees assisting older adults living independently, and hospital staff caring for COVID-19 patients, identifying organizational, psychological, and environmental determinants that influence job retention. Additionally, he investigates caregiver burden among families of elderly cancer survivors and evaluates the relationship between quality of life, treatment experiences, and life satisfaction among aging populations undergoing medical care. Spanning disaster medicine, gerontology, community health, mental health nursing, and healthcare management, Dr. Hisao Nakai’s work frequently employs cross-sectional and retrospective methodologies to generate evidence-based recommendations for policy and clinical practice. With more than 110 citations, numerous peer-reviewed publications, and extensive interdisciplinary collaborations, his research consistently aims to strengthen patient safety, disaster preparedness, mental health continuity, and the overall well-being of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals within Japan’s rapidly aging society.

Profile: Orcid | Scopus

Featured Publications

  • Nitta, Y., Hashimoto, R., Shimizu, Y., Nakai, Y., & Nakai, H. (2025). Adherence to outpatient care among individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake: A retrospective study. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports.

  • Itatani, T., Nakai, H., Takahashi, Y., & Togami, C. (2024). Factors associated with behavioral and weight changes across adult to elderly age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nutrition Research and Practice, 18(4), 544–556.*

  • Nakai, H., Oe, M., & Nagayama, Y. (2024). Factors related to evacuation intention when a Level 4 evacuation order was issued among people with mental health illnesses using group homes in Japan: A cross-sectional study. Medicine.

  • Nakai, H., Ishii, K., & Sagino, T. (2024). Turnover intention among staff who support older adults living alone in Japan: A cross-sectional study. Social Sciences, 13(9), 463.*

  • Kitamura, Y., & Nakai, H. (2023). Factors associated with turnover intentions of nurses working in Japanese hospitals admitting COVID-19 patients. Nursing Reports, 13(2), 69–80.*