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International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 1/2015

01-02-2015

Relationships Between Mental Health Distress and Work-Related Factors Among Prefectural Public Servants Two Months After the Great East Japan Earthquake

Authors: Maiko Fukasawa, Yuriko Suzuki, Akiko Obara, Yoshiharu Kim

Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

In times of disaster, public servants face multiple burdens as they engage in a demanding and stressful disaster-response work while managing their own needs caused by the disaster.

Purpose

We investigated the effects of work-related factors on the mental health of prefectural public servants working in the area devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake to identify some ideas for organizational work modifications to protect their mental health.

Methods

Two months after the earthquake, Miyagi prefecture conducted a self-administered health survey of prefectural public servants and obtained 4,331 (82.8 %) valid responses. We investigated relationships between mental health distress (defined as K6 ≥ 13) and work-related variables (i.e., job type, overwork, and working environment) stratified by level of earthquake damage experienced.

Results

The proportion of participants with mental health distress was 3.0 % in the group that experienced less damage and 5.9 % in the group that experienced severe damage. In the group that experienced less damage, working >100 h of overtime per month (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.06; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.11–3.82) and poor workplace communication (adjusted OR, 10.96; 95 % CI, 6.63–18.09) increased the risk of mental health distress. In the group that experienced severe damage, handling residents’ complaints (adjusted OR, 4.79; 95 % CI, 1.55–14.82) and poor workplace communication (adjusted OR, 9.14; 95 % CI, 3.34–24.97) increased the risk, whereas involvement in disaster-related work (adjusted OR, 0.39; 95 % CI, 0.18–0.86) decreased the risk.

Conclusions

Workers who have experienced less disaster-related damage might benefit from working fewer overtime hours, and those who have experienced severe damage might benefit from avoiding contact with residents and engaging in disaster-related work. Facilitating workplace communication appeared important for both groups of workers.
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Metadata
Title
Relationships Between Mental Health Distress and Work-Related Factors Among Prefectural Public Servants Two Months After the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors
Maiko Fukasawa
Yuriko Suzuki
Akiko Obara
Yoshiharu Kim
Publication date
01-02-2015
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 1/2015
Print ISSN: 1070-5503
Electronic ISSN: 1532-7558
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9392-8

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