JAPAN: Stress Causes Mental Illness Fears, Shows Survey

TOKYO, Japan(The Yomiuri Shimbun), December 25, 2007: One out of every three persons in Japan worries about the prospect of depression and other mental illnesses, with 40 percent of those in their 30s and 40s experiencing anxiety, most often in relation to workplace stress, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey. The nationwide survey was conducted on December 8 and 9, covering 3,000 eligible voters in 250 locations across the country, with 1,773, or 59.1 percent, giving valid answers. Of the respondents, 34 percent said they were worried about damage to their mental health, with the rate rising to 40 percent for those in their 30s and 40s. A total of 28 percent of respondents felt depressed as a result of severe stress and had no interest in doing anything, with 38 percent of those in their 30s feeling this way. Of people in their 20s and 40s, 32 percent felt similarly depressed. The survey found that 68 percent of respondents said they had felt stress recently, with the rate rising to 82 percent for those in their 40s, and 81 percent for those in their 30s. Detailing their anxieties, 34 percent cited health conditions, followed by busyness at work with 28 percent, and making both ends meet with 20 percent. The respondents were allowed to give more than one answer. More than 40 percent of those in their 30s and 40s said they were overly busy, a figure that topped other responses, highlighting the fact that they were experiencing stress at work. © The Yomiuri Shimbun.