According to the workers’ compensation situation in FY2021 announced by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on June 24, there were 629 cases of depression and other mental disorders caused by strong stress from work.
This was an increase of 21 cases from the previous fiscal year and a record number for the third consecutive year. The most common cause was “power harassment by superiors” (125 cases).
Other than power harassment, the common causes were “change in work content/volume” (71 cases) and “experiencing or witnessing an accident or disaster” (66 cases). Looking at the number of certifications by age group, those in their 40s accounted for the largest number of 200 cases.
The number of cases certified in relation to new coronavirus infection rose to 18. The number of suicides and attempted suicides decreased by 2 cases to 79. The number of applications for workers’ compensation for mental disorders also increased by 295 cases to a record high of 2,346 cases.
