Record Number of Teachers in Japan Took Leave for Mental Illness in Fiscal Year 2023

Extract from The Asahi

January 26 2025

TOKYO – A record number of public school educators took leave due to mental disorders in fiscal 2023, the third straight year of increase, according to a ministry survey.

Young educators accounted for a significant portion, making extending support to less experienced staff who recently entered the education field a pressing challenge. This demographic also joined the workforce after a mass retirement of veteran teachers.

The education ministry released the survey results on Dec. 20. The annual study covers teachers at public elementary, junior high and senior high schools, as well as specialized institutions for disabled children.

A record 7,119 educators, or 0.77 percent of the total, temporarily stepped away from their positions under the official leave system for mental illnesses in fiscal 2023, up 580 individuals, or 0.06 percentage point, from the previous year.

When combined with teachers who took paid days off for a month or more in total because of mental health complications, the overall number swelled to 13,045. This is 848 more than the previous year and represents 1.42 percent of all surveyed teachers, up 0.09 percentage point.

Across all industries, 0.6 percent of employees at businesses nationwide faced difficulties going to work for a month or longer due to a deteriorated psychological state, according to survey results released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2024.