710 Cases of Depression and Other Mental Health Issues Caused by Work in FY 2022, Japan’s Ministry of Health Announces

From The Kobe Shimbun

June 30 2023

TOKYO – The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) announced on June 30 that 710 cases of depression and other mental disorders caused by work were certified as work-related injuries in fiscal 2022. 

This was 81 cases more than in the previous year, breaking the record for the fourth consecutive year since the statistics began in 1983. Of these, suicides and attempted suicides totaled 67, 12 fewer than in the previous year. By cause, power harassment accounted for the largest number of cases (147), once again highlighting the reality of a workplace that is not improving.

A record 2,683 cases of workers’ compensation claims for mental disorders were filed, up 337 cases from the previous year. The approval rate was 35.8%. A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official said, “This may be the result of people becoming aware that mental disorders can also be treated as work-related injuries.