Abstract
In Japan, the number of suicides has exceeded 30,000 per year for the past 14 years. Among the victims, two-thirds of them were of working-age, 50% suffered from health problems, and 90% of those suffered from depression. Therefore, it seems that one measure of suicide is the mental health metric of depression among the working-aged. From this background in December 2011, The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare decided to introduce stress checks into mental health examinations.
The proposed stress checks include nine items, divided into three categories: anxiety, fatigue, and depression. Given the sensitivity of the data, results are only provided to the employee.
For companies that are without in-house medical professionals, if an employee receives the result of a high stress level, s/he may request a physician's diagnosis. Then, if the physician diagnoses the workplace as a contributing factor, the employer will be advised.
For companies that employ a public health nurse or a physician, stress checks will be performed by that professional, and based on the individual's results, they will prescribe a course of action, such as a health interview or clinical introduction. They will also be charged with notifying and advising their employer company of problems.
The proposal reflects two fundamental policy positions:
1. the systematic, proactive improvement in workplace quality of health.
2. the increased reliance on and cooperation public health nurses and physicians.
