Status of mental health problems and care in Japanese business establishments

Abstract

In order to clarify the status of mental health problems and care in Japanese business establishments, a questionnaire was administered to occupational health staff in various enterprises (243 valid responses, 17.0%). The results reveal that, in most enterprises, there are workers suffering from stress-related disorders. Depression was most often seen (47.2%). Additionally, the results suggest that depression lead to long periods of time off. Therefore, measures against depression in employees are important. There were a lot of offices that executed mental health care by supervisors and managers or occupational health staff, or by educational training, or medical examination, etc. However, a clear statement of the plan concerning mental health care by employers had been executed by only about a half of employers. As the rate of patients or workers with long periods off work was not correlated to the care executed in the office, mental health care in its present status dose not seem to be effective.