Objective: To clarify the current status and challenges of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization among foreign residents in Japan, and to provide implications for improvement.

Methods: We reviewed governmental statistics and previous studies, and presented a case in which an emergency admission was converted to a medical protection admission.

Results: Four major challenges were identified: (1) language barriers, (2) communication systems and legal procedures, (3) costs, and (4) post-discharge outlook. In particular, during the initial 72 hours, the main issues requiring priority attention were delays in securing interpreters, difficulties in identity verification and family contact, procedural delays including mayoral consent, uncertainty regarding financial responsibility, and concerns about limited post-discharge resources.

Conclusion: While fundamental solutions are difficult to achieve promptly, immediate improvements should focus on: (1) establishing rapid-access interpreter arrangements (including remote interpretation and supplementary machine translation), and (2) developing concise municipal procedure manuals. These measures could enable reproducible operations even under limited resources and facilitate integration into the existing framework of the “community-based integrated care system for people with mental health problems.”

The number of foreign residents in Japan has increased significantly in recent years, leading to a rise in opportunities for psychiatric medical facilities to treat foreign patients with mental disorders. This trend is also evident in Chiba Prefecture, which is home to Narita International Airport.

While engaged in Chiba’s psychiatric emergency medical system, I have acutely recognized difficulties concerning language, finances, and legal frameworks for foreign patients. A subsequent survey revealed that the admission of foreign patients is concentrated in specific medical institutions, and arrangements for their repatriation after discharge are often necessary.

Furthermore, a hypothetical case study highlights the specific challenges of treating foreign patients with psychiatric emergencies. The study underscored the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment due to language barriers, concerns about unpaid medical bills, and issues with Act on Mental Health and Welfare for the Mentally Disabled, which does not account for treating foreign nationals.

Currently, these issues are left to the self-help efforts of individual medical institutions to address. With the continued increase in foreign patients, the expansion of public support has become an urgent issue.

This paper examines the history of the introduction of the concept of heterogeneity in institutional psychotherapy and its clinical implications, focusing on François Tosquelles’ personal history. Tosquelles was exiled to France during the Vichy regime, a period when French psychiatry was barely functioning, and many patients were dying of starvation. Under these circumstances, he attempted to transform the hospital with the slogan of ‘welcome’ to incorporate this heterogeneity into the therapeutic environment. This heterogeneity helped transform the hospital into a psychotherapeutic environment by 1) utilizing the unique qualities of each patient in treatment, 2) incorporating multiple perspectives in meetings, and 3) emphasizing the poetic function of language.

The present study determined the factors associated with reduced stress reaction scores and their hierarchical structure among Japanese female spouses accompanying their husbands on overseas assignments. About 264 participants were surveyed using the Occupational Brief Stress Questionnaire to assess their stress reactions. This web- and questionnaire-based survey was conducted between 2016 and 2018. Data was analyzed using multiple regression analysis, logistic regression analysis, and Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector analysis. In the logistic regression analysis, the stress response score was dichotomized using a cut-off value of 77 points to categorize participants into low and high stress groups. The findings revealed that the presence of “someone to confide in” was the most relevant factor for the low stress group. Additionally, having “someone who casually talks to me” and the “ease of access to shopping/going out” were associated with a relative reduction in participants’ stress reaction scores. The CHAID analysis demonstrated that participants possessing all three factors reported the lowest mean stress score (M = 50.2), compared to other subgroups (M ≥ 57.1). Considering the significance of peer support initiatives among spouses, occupational health staff should emphasize the effectiveness of peer support and facilitate their communication skills.

In this study, we used a modified Grounded Theory Approach (M-GTA) to clarify the cross-cultural experiences of six Japanese female partners who had experienced overseas life for the first time by accompanying expatriates. Two core categories were extracted from the interviews: “My limited society” and “My relaxed authentic self.” The partners were socially disconnected from their communities in Japan and had unstable relationships within expatriate communities. The findings showed Japanese women’s process of reconstructing one’s authentic self through repeated experiences of survival and self-acceptance in cross-cultural life while facing loneliness, a sense of disconnection from local culture, and conflicts between their identity before and during their cross-cultural experience. This process was understood as one of meaning-making, involving the development of self-efficacy and interactions with a different culture. Rather than viewing cross-cultural adaptation as a temporary challenge, it is desirable to understand it as a significant experience that fosters personal growth. These findings contribute to our understanding of the psychological and social changes partners of expatriates face and indicate the need for a support system that considers their long-term adjustment processes.

The objective of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural comparison of nursing concepts for patients with mental illness to gather foundational data for ensuring reliable nursing care that upholds their basic human rights, despite varying national contexts. A qualitative, inductive analysis was performed on group interview data from 14 Indonesian nurses and 20 Japanese nurses who watched a training video on visiting psychiatric nursing. Nurses from both countries agreed on the benefits of visiting nursing for patients living alone and emphasized the importance of a stable patient–nurse relationship to ensure continued visits. However, differences emerged in approaches to building patient–nurse relationships, views on the origins of physical illnesses, the nurse’s role within the medical team, and perceptions of nursing expertise. Despite these differences, a shared perspective emerged: the importance of supporting patients with dignity, enabling them to realize their full potential for health and well-being.

The purpose of this survey was to clarify the current level of understanding and support for the mental health of foreign technical interns within supervising organizations. From October to December of 2021, a questionnaire was distributed to 1,718 supervising organizations, with 336 responding (a 19.6% response rate). The survey revealed that supervising organizations recognize technical interns’ mental health issues which related to homesickness, relationships with fellow interns, language, culture, and relationships with Japanese people. The most common response from supervising organizations was “listening and discussion,” and distinctive support was found to be provided based on the interns’ “body,” “environment,” “mind,” and “behavior.” Specific conditions indicative of mental health issues included insomnia, appetite problems, interpersonal conflicts among trainees, issues adapting to the workplace, psychological instability, homesickness, and tardiness or absenteeism. Based on these indicators, preventive interventions and support should be implemented before conditions worsen.