Citation

Shima S. Jpn. Med. Assn. J. JMAJ 2008; 51(3): 169-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Japan Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

After the collapse of the bubble economy, dramatic changes have occurred in the environment around workers, including those in the labor market and personnel management systems. According to the Worker Health Survey, the percentage of workers feeling stress continued to increase until 1997, but the increase stopped in 2002. The leading cause of stress is interpersonal relations in the workplace, followed by the nature of the job and the volume of work. The number of suicides in Japan has exceeded 30,000 for 8 consecutive years. Middle- and high-aged workers suffering from economic difficulties, struggling workers in their 30s, and delicate young workers are presenting serious social problems. Mental health activities in industrial health have evolved from the Total Health Promotion Plan to Creation of Comfortable Workplaces and then to the Guidelines for Promoting Mental Care in Enterprises. The guidelines indicate four types of care: self-care, line care, professional care, and outside care. The revised Mental Health Guidelines, based on the amended Occupational Safety and Health Law, comprehensively encompass from primary to tertiary prevention.

Language: en

Keywords

human; age; counseling; Stress; suicide; law; Japan; Industry; primary prevention; workload; Mental health; depression; unemployment; review; workplace; mental disease; mental health care; human relation; practice guideline; economic aspect; health promotion; occupational safety; work environment; worker; personnel management; self care; employee; job stress; occupational physician; Mental Health Guidelines; Suicide from overwork