Since 1998,the number of suicides has exceeded 30,000 persons per year in Japan,and suicide is believed to be closely related to depression.In 2000,the Japanese government issued a guideline to promote mental health at workplace.Since then,mental health measures are being practiced actively at workplaces.However,these measures appear to have both advantages and limitations.
It is noteworthy that selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs),a new type of antidepressant,became available in Japan a year prior to the proposal of mental health measures.The sale of SSRls and the number of mental clinics and patients with depression have increased dramatically since 1999.These changes are termed psycho-bubble,which represents overdiagnosed depression and excessive administration of SSRLs.Two principal factors might have caused this psycho-bubble:(1)the introduction of an operational diagnosis method,namely,the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM);and(2)the use of SSRIs,which have been advertised to have fewer side-effects than other antidepressants.David Healy,a psychiatrist,has criticized pharmaceutical companies for their marketing strategies that use false data and excessive advertisements to sell SSRIs.Providing adequate information on mental health to employees is indispensable,but being overenthusiastic about mental health at
Workplace,for example,desiring early detection and rapid cure of employees with depression,may result in the expansion of the psycho-bubble.
The merits and demerits of mental health measures should be known.Promoting mental health awareness at workplace is not limited to early detection of the sick and their medical consultation.Providing employees with a better working atmosphere and opportunities to discover their own approach to work and improve their quality of working life,are more important,and these may lead to the primary prevention of mantal illness.
