More Japanese suffer from mental illnesses

By Akira Ogawa

TOKYO —

Twenty-four percent of the Japanese have suffered mental illnesses such as depression, alcohol abuse or addiction. Although 10% of the Japanese surveyed have experienced such illness in one year, only 30% of them have consulted with doctors.

These alarming mental health statistics on the Japanese were revealed in a recent large-scale nationwide investigation that a Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare research team carried out. Norito Kawakami, a University of Tokyo professor, led the team.

As part of an international research project the World Health Organization initiated, the team conducted a survey and received responses from about 4,100 people aged 20 and older in 11 cities and towns in six prefectures from 2002 to 2006. In all, about 85,000 people in 17 countries were surveyed in the WHO project.

The 11 Japanese municipalities were Tendo and Kaminoyama in Yamagata Prefecture, Sano in Tochigi Prefecture, Yokohama’s Isogo Ward in Kanagawa Prefecture, Okayama and Tamano in Okayama Prefecture, Nagasaki in Nagasaki Prefecture, and Kushikino and the towns of Higashiichiki and Fukiage in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The percentage of Japanese mental illness patients was one-third that in the United States, half that in France and the Netherlands, and the same number as in Germany and France.

“The prevalent rate in Japan might have been lower because Japanese replied with reserve,” Kawakami said.

“The social loss from mental illness is larger than from physical disorders,” Kawakami said. “The problem is the lower consultation rate, and early checkups are encouraged.”

Full-scale investigations into mental illness in Japan have so far been few. This latest investigation was conducted with specially trained investigators interviewing people.

Except for schizophrenia and developmental disorders that cannot be diagnosed except by medical specialists, the investigators checked patients of depression and other mood disorders, morbid fear and other anxiety disorders, and alcohol abuse and other addictions.

The 24% of those investigated were found to have suffered from psychological disorders in their lives and the 10% in one year. Those suffering from alcohol abuse and addiction in the former group of people accounted for 10% of the total, the highest, followed by those suffering from depression (6%) and anxiety disorders (3%).

Only 30% of those surveyed had consulted with doctors, and less than 30% of those suffering from depression had checkups — conspicuously lower rates among advanced countries with a high average income.

Checkups are liable to be delayed because, one person said, “I can take care of myself.” A second said, “I don’t know where to go.” A third said, “I don’t want other people to know about my illness,” and a fourth said, “I didn’t think there is an effect.”

The investigators said the problem is a lack of knowledge and information about mental health, and the prejudice of people around the patients.

It was also found that many people surveyed consulted with general practitioners. The investigation team is calling for tie-ups between general practitioners and psychiatrists in providing medical care to mentally ill patients.

More than 30,000 Japanese have committed suicide each year since 1998, and the investigation found that 10% of those surveyed replied they had seriously considered suicide.

The survey said people suffering from depression and other mood disorders were found mostly among those aged 34 or younger. The trend of sharp increases in depression among young people is conspicuous in Japan and China.

“This may be because of inept human relations with weakening social links and the progression of a lower birthrate,” Kawakami said.

The risk factors for depression are domestic violence in childhood, fear of social interaction, light mental disorders and physical diseases.

“Required for mental health are a wide variety of lifelong measures in regional communities and workplaces,” said a team investigator.

11 Comments

Azrael at 06:31 PM JST - 2nd April

Moderator, you might want to check on this paragraph from the article above:

The percentage of Japanese metal illness patients was one-third that in the United States, half that in France and the Netherlands, and the same number as in Germany and France."

BTW, the Preview feature is a nice addition!
umbrella at 09:39 AM JST - 3rd April

If I were a 14 hour a day/3 days a year holiday, retire at 60 to become sodai gomi around the house, salaryman, I'd be depressed too. But then now, what is it, 1/3 of workers are on temporary contracts, sackable at will. So constant worrying and depression there. But it's hardly surprising that nobody wants to admit to suffering from depression. Career suicide. As for these 30,000 suicides a year, you can't see that number ever falling can you??
Sarge at 10:26 PM JST - 3rd April

This explains at least some of the strange behavior exhibited by some Japanese in my office.
WhatJapanThinks at 10:50 PM JST - 3rd April

Only 24%? However, it also says 72% of Americans are bonkers, a figure I can understand...

But seriously, are they saying one in ten of the adult population has considered suicide? Wow!

Oh, and looking at the 11 sampled areas, only one is in the Tokyo area (Yokohama), Okayama and Nagasaki are medium sized cities, and the rest are pretty much countryside. I wonder how the results would have looked if they'd sampled more from Tokyo and Osaka to reflect the populations there.
Beelzebub at 08:10 AM JST - 5th April

I'd say 80% of Tokyoites suffer from autism, acquired by the incessant use of portable electronic devices.
illsayit at 12:18 AM JST - 6th April

That's a rather big category "mental illness". Could possibly categorize everybody into some sort of mental-ness.
eastokyo at 04:48 AM JST - 6th April

Twenty-four percent of the Japanese have suffered mental illnesses

I think I've met this 24 percent.
outhousejt at 08:18 AM JST - 6th April

The government need to slip in fluoridate in tap water and prozacs.
Desiderata1967 at 11:34 AM JST - 6th April

This problem is easily solvable for any Japanese man, or any man for that matter - don't marry a Japanese woman! You'll be confused on a daily basis, think you're always wrong in everything you do or say and treated like you have the plague! Avoid this illness by staying single or marrying a woman who lives because she knows HOW TO, not because society and TV tell her the way!
VoXman at 12:44 PM JST - 6th April

They all live in train stations
VoXman at 12:49 PM JST - 6th April

WhatJapanThinks:

aaaah YES...... 30,000 Japanese chose suicide last year over sticking it out. Thats 1 death every 15mins........