Association between the Hitachi Mental Health Scale (HMS) and incidence of sick leave for mental health disorders: Comparison between HMS and BJSQ

Abstract

It has been reported that assessment of mental health at the workplace by using questionnaires could predict the incidence of sick leave for mental health disorders. However, there are few large-scale cohort studies that have investigated this possibility, and more data are required. Therefore, the association between scores on our original questionnaire, the Hitachi Mental Health Scale (HMS) and the incidence of sick leave for mental health disorders was investigated. Employees (N=16,078) participated in this cohort study. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between HMS and incidence of sick leave for mental health disorders. We also examined correlation coefficient between HMS and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), and compared the ability to identify high-risk groups. Results indicated that multivariable odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for incidence of sick leave adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and alcohol from the lowest through highest-scoring groups on HMS were as follows: 1 (reference), 1.83 (1.20–2.79), 3.21 (2.18–4.72), and 8.83 (5.95–13.11) respectively. Moreover, HMS was strongly associated with the BJSQ stress response scores (correlation coefficient: ρ=.789). Furthermore, ROC analysis indicated no significant differences between HMS and BJSQ in the ability to detect high-risk groups. It is concluded that these findings suggest the strong association between HMS and incidence of sick leave for mental health disorders.