Japan Hits Record High in Work-Related Mental Health Cases
(MENAFN) Japan has reported a surge in work-related mental health cases, with 1,055 incidents logged in fiscal 2024—an alarming increase of 172 cases from the previous year. This marks the highest figure in six years, according to a local media report citing the country's Health Ministry.
Of these cases, 88 were linked to suicides or suicide attempts, a rise of nine from the prior year, as stated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The primary cause of these mental health struggles was abuse—both physical and verbal—by supervisors, which accounted for 224 cases. Significant shifts in job responsibilities or workloads followed closely, contributing to 119 reported cases. Customer-related abuse, including both verbal and physical assaults, ranked third, with 108 cases, 78 of which involved female employees.
A Ministry official spoke to local media, noting, "There are a certain number of workers who are under strong stress due to human relationships within their workplaces and to changes in the environment."
By profession, the highest incidence of workers' compensation claims for mental health issues was observed among social security and welfare workers, totaling 270 cases. In terms of age demographics, employees in their 40s reported the highest number of cases with 283, followed by 245 cases among workers in their 30s and 243 among those in their 20s.
In another troubling health development, Japan has also experienced an unprecedented rise in whooping cough cases. The highly contagious respiratory illness has reached a record 31,966 cases in 2024, a nearly eight-fold increase compared to last year, according to local media citing Japan's Institute for Health Security.
The data indicates a sharp uptick, with 2,970 cases reported in the week ending June 15. Weekly incidents exceeded 3,000 for the first time since 2018, when comparable records became available. Last year, the nation reported around 4,000 cases, while 2019 saw 16,845 cases.
As the country grapples with these alarming health issues, both mental illness and whooping cough continue to place unprecedented pressure on the nation’s healthcare system.
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