A report on the symposium - Positive mental health in the workplace

Abstract

This is a report on the symposium "Positive Mental Health in the Workplace", a special session of the 3rd International Conference on Occupational Health Nursing and the 2nd Asia Conference on Occupational Health Nursing Joint Conference 2010. It was sponsored by the School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan. In the Keynote speech, professor Wilmar B. Schaufeli suggested the concept of "Work engagement". The theory in that the worker who has a high state on three elements -vigor, dedication and absorption to work - will have good physical and mental health and, moreover, will contribute to the activation and productivity of the organization. Next, a panel discussion was made by a psychologist, an occupational physician, the director of the labor department, and a government official of the cabinet office Japan. Through the discussion, we recognized that it is necessary to advance positive measures to promote the mental health of workers as well as standard measures to prevent depression, in order to achieve a truly healthy workplace.