The “Criteria for Recognition of Mental Disorders Due to Psychological Overload” has been revised.

◆Background of the Amendment
The “Criteria for Recognition of Mental Disability due to Psychological Overload” was revised and notified on September 1, 2023. Until now, the “Criteria for Recognition of Mental Disorders due to Psychological Overload” formulated in 2011 was used to certify cases of mental disorders and suicides as workers’ compensation cases. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s “Expert Panel on the Criteria for Recognition of Workers’ Accident Recognition for Mental Disorders” reviewed the issue in light of changes in social conditions and the latest medical knowledge, and compiled its report in July of this year, which led to this revision.

◆Points of revision

The following three points are key to the revision of the certification criteria.

(1) Review of the psychological load evaluation chart due to work
– Specific event: “Significant customer harassment, including complaints from customers, suppliers, and facility users,” has been added.

– Specific event: “Engaged in work with a high risk of infectious diseases or other illnesses or accidents” has been added.

– Examples of different levels of psychological load (strong, medium, and weak) have been provided with specific illustrations of all six types of power harassment.

(2) Revise the scope of work-related aggravation of mental disorders.
If there was no “special event” within six months prior to the decline in the condition, but the decline was a result of intense psychological strain caused by work, the affected part is considered work-related.

(3) Streamlining the method of collecting medical opinions
The protocol for decision-making in medical cases has been amended. Previously, a consensus of three medical specialists was required to make a decision. Now, in most cases, a decision will be based on the opinion of only one medical specialist, except for particularly difficult cases.

*The psychological load evaluation chart is a chart that evaluates the strength of the load (stress) by applying actual work-related events to the “specific events” shown in the chart.

[Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Revised Workers’ Accident Recognition Criteria for Mental Disorders Caused by Psychological Overload.”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_34888.html