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Citation
Kotera, Y. (2020). Mental health of Japanese healthcare workers during
COVID19. Global Virtual Summit on COVID-19, Online (August 1, 2020).
Keynote Presentation.
Questions For You
Introduction
Current Status of COVID-19 in Japan
Mental Health of Healthcare Workers
Associated with stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia
3/4 distressed, 1/2 depression, 1/3 insomnia, and 2/5 anxiety in China
Female workers report more mental health problems
Safety of colleagues and lack of treatment as stress risk factors
Nurses more anxious than other HCW
Social support to reduce anxiety and depression
Reasons for work: social and moral responsibility, recognition from hospital
authorities, and financial compensation.
Mental Health of Healthcare Workers
Japan
61.3% of doctors were mentally distressed
83.4% felt increase in stress pre and post-COVID19
Early career doctors had poorer mental health
”Infectious Disease” and “Obstetrics and Gynecology”
Mental Health Stigma
Negative view on mental health problems
Negative impact on mental health
(negative views worsen poor mental health)
High stigma among Japanese HCW
Suggesting that protective factors of mental
health need to be appraised.
Focus of Our Study
Identify predictors of mental health in Japanese HCW
Mental Health Problems = Depression and Anxiety
Loneliness = Feeling alienated from or rejected by others
Hope = Positive motivational construct, helpful during a crisis
Self-Compassion = kindness towards oneself, associated with wellbeing
Methods
Instruments (online survey)
General Health Questionnaire 4
Three-Item Loneliness Scale
Adult State Hope Scale (6 items)
Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (12 items)
Considering increased workload of HCW, short scales were chosen.
Analyses
To contexualise their mental health status, data will be compared with general
population. = t-tests
Regression to identify predictors of mental health
Participants
142 HCW (104 females and 38 males; Age M=39.90, SD=12.10 years)
138 individuals from the general population (84 females and 54 males; Age
M=46.39, SD=10.35 years)
73% of HCW is similar to the general population of HCW in Japan (77%)
Both groups satisfied required size (119: Effect size f 2=0.15, α=0.05,
Power=0.95)
Results
HCW vs General
Mental Health Problems
Loneliness
Hope
Self-Compassion
HCW > General
HCW > General
HCW < General
HCW < General
Predictors of Mental Health Problems
All 3 variables were significant
General
Hope > Self-Compassion > Loneliness
HCW
Loneliness > Hope > Self-Compassion
Discussion
Loneliness as Key for Mental Health
How to reduce workplace loneliness
Loneliness associated with limited performance
Target maladaptive social cognitions of lonelier workers
Findings from individualistic cultures, different from Japanese collectivism.
But these findings will help identify practical solution in Japanese HC workplace.
Q&A