The aim of this study is to examine the effects of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therap... more The aim of this study is to examine the effects of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) program on decreasing the risk of major depressive episodes (MDEs) among workers employed in a private corporate group in Japan, using a randomised controlled trial design. All of the workers in a corporate group (n=20 000) will be recruited through an invitation email. Participants who fulfil the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to intervention or control groups (planned N=4050 for each group). They will be allowed to complete the six lessons of the iCBT program within 10 weeks after the baseline survey. Those in the control group will receive the same iCBT after 12 months. The program includes several CBT skills: self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness, problem-solving and relaxation. The primary outcome measure is no new onset of MDE (using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)/DSM-5 crite...
Bullying in the workplace is an increasingly recognized threat to employee health. We sought to t... more Bullying in the workplace is an increasingly recognized threat to employee health. We sought to test three hypotheses related to the determinants of workplace bullying: power distance at work; safety climate; and frustration related to perceived social inequality. A questionnaire survey was administered to a nationally representative community-based sample of 5,000 residents in Japan aged 20-60 years. The questionnaire included questions about employment, occupation, company size, education, household income, and subjective social status (SSS). We inquired about both the witnessing and personal experience of workplace bullying during the past 30 days. Among 2,384 respondents, data were analyzed from 1,546 workers. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the social determinants of workplace bullying. Six percent and 15 percent of the total sample reported experiencing or witnessing workplace bullying, respectively. After adjusting for gender and age, temporary empl...
Sickness absence due to mental disease in the workplace has become a global public health problem... more Sickness absence due to mental disease in the workplace has become a global public health problem. Previous studies report that sickness presenteeism is associated with sickness absence. We aimed to determine optimal cutoff scores for presenteeism in the screening of the future absences due to mental disease. A prospective study of 2195 Japanese employees from all areas of Japan was conducted. Presenteeism and depression were measured by the validated Japanese version of the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) and K6 scale, respectively. Absence due to mental disease across a 2-year follow-up was surveyed using medical certificates obtained for work absence. Socioeconomic status was measured via a self-administered questionnaire. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff scores for absolute and relative presenteeism in relation to the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. The AUC values ...
Sangyō eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health, 2007
An action checklist for improving the workplace environment by means of enhancing mental health o... more An action checklist for improving the workplace environment by means of enhancing mental health of workers (Mental Health Action Check List: MHACL) was developed. The use of the checklist for primary prevention was examined. MHACL was developed through three steps: (1) Review of related references and collection of improvement examples for designing a draft MHACL; (2) pilot application of the draft at industrial workplaces and trials at workshops of occupational health staff; and (3) proposing a new MHACL for general use in industry. Workplace improvement actions related to mental health were listed in eight technical areas. From 84 workplaces in Japan, 201 such actions were collected. Typical improvement action phrases were extracted based on these examples, and a draft MHACL containing 40 generally applicable actions were prepared. This draft was applied to selected workplaces for its use as a tool for group discussion. Then, the utility of the checklist was discussed by 105 occup...
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on t... more The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on their stress responses, social support, and coping. Participants (n=24) were assigned to either an intervention or a waiting list control group. A five-session program, including psychoeducation, group discussion, role-playing and relaxation training, was conducted for the intervention group at two week intervals. Eight participants from each of the groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaire surveys. The positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.035), whereas the negative intervention effect was significant for proactive coping (p=0.033). No significant effect was observed for stress responses (vigor, anger, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and somatic stress responses) (p>0.05). The positive intervention effect was marginally significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.085) and anger (p=0.057) among those who at first h...
Sangyō eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health, 2005
&... more "The Checklist for Evaluation of Mental Health Activities at the Workplace" was developed for workplace staff evaluating mental health activities in their own workplace. The validity and reliability of the checklist were examined and criteria for evaluation were developed for workplace/organization/companies with 50 or more employees in Japan. The checklist initially included 33 items covering seven major domains of occupational mental health, with a four-point response option, based on the Japanese Guideline for Worker Mental Health in the Workplace and a relevant literature review. A questionnaire was send to 60 members of the Occupational Mental Health Committee (OMHC) of the Japan Society for Occupational Health to ask their opinions on the checklist and on the minimum requirement for each item on the checklist; 30 (50%) responded. A random sample of 1,335 workplaces from a contractor list of workplaces for worker compensation insurance and a questionnaire was send to the personnel department to fill in the checklist; 412 (31.5%) responded and data from 335 of them with 50 or more employees were analyzed. Some OMHC members felt that one of the items (concerning the Total Health Promotion program) should be dropped; thus the checklist was revised to include 32 items, still covering the seven domains. Based on the workplace survey data, most domain scales showed internal consistency reliability at an acceptable level; explanatory factor analysis yielded a four-factor structure that was well concordant with the hypnotized seven-domain structure. Three levels of adequacy of mental health activities were set for each domain scale: "red" (inadequate), "yellow" (minimal), and "green" (adequate). One third of occupational health professionals from 49 workplaces rated the evaluation result based on the checklist as concordant with their view; 95% of them said the checklist would be useful in promoting occupational mental health activities. The study indicated that the checklist had reliability (based on internal consistency reliability) and content- and construct-validity (based on expert opinions, a factor-structure concordant with empirical data, and evaluation by workplace staff). The checklist seems useful in promoting occupational mental health activities.
The purpose of this study was to develop a new Internet-based computerized cognitive behavior the... more The purpose of this study was to develop a new Internet-based computerized cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) program in Manga format, the Japanese cartoon, for workers and to examine the effects of the iCBT program on improving subthreshold depression using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design among workers employed in private companies in Japan. All workers in a company (n = 290) and all workers in three departments (n = 1,500) at the headquarters of another large company were recruited by an invitation e-mail. Participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups (N = 381 for each group). A six-week, six-lesson iCBT program using Manga (Japanese comic) story was developed. The program included several CBT skills: self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness, problem solving, and relaxation. The intervention group studied the iCBT program at a frequency of one lesson per week. Depression (Beck Depression Invento...
In this study the sole and the combined effects of active and non-active forms of coping on psych... more In this study the sole and the combined effects of active and non-active forms of coping on psychological distress across various kinds of job stressors were examined. Data on job stressors, coping and psychological distress were obtained from 4487 male employees of a research institute in the automobile industry in Japan (mean age=36.27 years, SD = 7.43). A hierarchical moderated
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on t... more The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on their stress responses, social support, and coping. Participants (n=24) were assigned to either an intervention or a waiting list control group. A five-session program, including psychoeducation, group discussion, role-playing and relaxation training, was conducted for the intervention group at two week intervals. Eight participants from each of the groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaire surveys. The positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.035), whereas the negative intervention effect was significant for proactive coping (p=0.033). No significant effect was observed for stress responses (vigor, anger, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and somatic stress responses) (p>0.05). The positive intervention effect was marginally significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.085) and anger (p=0.057) among those who at first had high stress response scores in the pre-intervention survey (n=5 and n=4 for the intervention and waiting list control groups, respectively). Furthermore, the positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.021) and marginally significant for resignation coping (p=0.070) among those who at first had high job control scores (n=4 and n=5 for the intervention and waiting list control groups, respectively). Results showed that the stress management program conducted in this study contributed to increasing social support from co-workers. This study suggests that a program that focuses on a particular subgroup (e.g., those with high stress responses or high job control) might be effective in enhancing coping skills, increasing social support, and reducing stress responses.
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2010
To investigate the cross-sectional association between organizational justice (i.e., procedural j... more To investigate the cross-sectional association between organizational justice (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) and psychological distress or work engagement, as well as the mediating roles of other job stressors (i.e., job demands and job control, or their combination, effort-reward imbalance [ERI], and worksite support). A total of 243 workers (185 males and 58 females) from a manufacturing factory in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire including the Organizational Justice Questionnaire, Job Content Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, K6 scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and other covariates. Multiple mediation analyses with the bootstrap technique were conducted. In the bivariate analysis, procedural justice and interactional justice were significantly and negatively associated with psychological distress; they were significantly and positively associated with work engagement. In the mediation analysis, reward at work (or ERI) significantly mediated between procedural justice or interactional justice and psychological distress; worksite support significantly mediated between procedural justice or interactional justice and work engagement. The effects of organizational justice on psychological distress seem to be mediated by reward at work (or ERI) while those regarding work engagement may be mediated by worksite support to a large extent, at least in Japanese workers.
The aim of this study is to examine the effects of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therap... more The aim of this study is to examine the effects of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) program on decreasing the risk of major depressive episodes (MDEs) among workers employed in a private corporate group in Japan, using a randomised controlled trial design. All of the workers in a corporate group (n=20 000) will be recruited through an invitation email. Participants who fulfil the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to intervention or control groups (planned N=4050 for each group). They will be allowed to complete the six lessons of the iCBT program within 10 weeks after the baseline survey. Those in the control group will receive the same iCBT after 12 months. The program includes several CBT skills: self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness, problem-solving and relaxation. The primary outcome measure is no new onset of MDE (using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)/DSM-5 crite...
Bullying in the workplace is an increasingly recognized threat to employee health. We sought to t... more Bullying in the workplace is an increasingly recognized threat to employee health. We sought to test three hypotheses related to the determinants of workplace bullying: power distance at work; safety climate; and frustration related to perceived social inequality. A questionnaire survey was administered to a nationally representative community-based sample of 5,000 residents in Japan aged 20-60 years. The questionnaire included questions about employment, occupation, company size, education, household income, and subjective social status (SSS). We inquired about both the witnessing and personal experience of workplace bullying during the past 30 days. Among 2,384 respondents, data were analyzed from 1,546 workers. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the social determinants of workplace bullying. Six percent and 15 percent of the total sample reported experiencing or witnessing workplace bullying, respectively. After adjusting for gender and age, temporary empl...
Sickness absence due to mental disease in the workplace has become a global public health problem... more Sickness absence due to mental disease in the workplace has become a global public health problem. Previous studies report that sickness presenteeism is associated with sickness absence. We aimed to determine optimal cutoff scores for presenteeism in the screening of the future absences due to mental disease. A prospective study of 2195 Japanese employees from all areas of Japan was conducted. Presenteeism and depression were measured by the validated Japanese version of the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) and K6 scale, respectively. Absence due to mental disease across a 2-year follow-up was surveyed using medical certificates obtained for work absence. Socioeconomic status was measured via a self-administered questionnaire. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff scores for absolute and relative presenteeism in relation to the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. The AUC values ...
Sangyō eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health, 2007
An action checklist for improving the workplace environment by means of enhancing mental health o... more An action checklist for improving the workplace environment by means of enhancing mental health of workers (Mental Health Action Check List: MHACL) was developed. The use of the checklist for primary prevention was examined. MHACL was developed through three steps: (1) Review of related references and collection of improvement examples for designing a draft MHACL; (2) pilot application of the draft at industrial workplaces and trials at workshops of occupational health staff; and (3) proposing a new MHACL for general use in industry. Workplace improvement actions related to mental health were listed in eight technical areas. From 84 workplaces in Japan, 201 such actions were collected. Typical improvement action phrases were extracted based on these examples, and a draft MHACL containing 40 generally applicable actions were prepared. This draft was applied to selected workplaces for its use as a tool for group discussion. Then, the utility of the checklist was discussed by 105 occup...
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on t... more The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on their stress responses, social support, and coping. Participants (n=24) were assigned to either an intervention or a waiting list control group. A five-session program, including psychoeducation, group discussion, role-playing and relaxation training, was conducted for the intervention group at two week intervals. Eight participants from each of the groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaire surveys. The positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.035), whereas the negative intervention effect was significant for proactive coping (p=0.033). No significant effect was observed for stress responses (vigor, anger, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and somatic stress responses) (p>0.05). The positive intervention effect was marginally significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.085) and anger (p=0.057) among those who at first h...
Sangyō eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health, 2005
&... more "The Checklist for Evaluation of Mental Health Activities at the Workplace" was developed for workplace staff evaluating mental health activities in their own workplace. The validity and reliability of the checklist were examined and criteria for evaluation were developed for workplace/organization/companies with 50 or more employees in Japan. The checklist initially included 33 items covering seven major domains of occupational mental health, with a four-point response option, based on the Japanese Guideline for Worker Mental Health in the Workplace and a relevant literature review. A questionnaire was send to 60 members of the Occupational Mental Health Committee (OMHC) of the Japan Society for Occupational Health to ask their opinions on the checklist and on the minimum requirement for each item on the checklist; 30 (50%) responded. A random sample of 1,335 workplaces from a contractor list of workplaces for worker compensation insurance and a questionnaire was send to the personnel department to fill in the checklist; 412 (31.5%) responded and data from 335 of them with 50 or more employees were analyzed. Some OMHC members felt that one of the items (concerning the Total Health Promotion program) should be dropped; thus the checklist was revised to include 32 items, still covering the seven domains. Based on the workplace survey data, most domain scales showed internal consistency reliability at an acceptable level; explanatory factor analysis yielded a four-factor structure that was well concordant with the hypnotized seven-domain structure. Three levels of adequacy of mental health activities were set for each domain scale: "red" (inadequate), "yellow" (minimal), and "green" (adequate). One third of occupational health professionals from 49 workplaces rated the evaluation result based on the checklist as concordant with their view; 95% of them said the checklist would be useful in promoting occupational mental health activities. The study indicated that the checklist had reliability (based on internal consistency reliability) and content- and construct-validity (based on expert opinions, a factor-structure concordant with empirical data, and evaluation by workplace staff). The checklist seems useful in promoting occupational mental health activities.
The purpose of this study was to develop a new Internet-based computerized cognitive behavior the... more The purpose of this study was to develop a new Internet-based computerized cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) program in Manga format, the Japanese cartoon, for workers and to examine the effects of the iCBT program on improving subthreshold depression using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design among workers employed in private companies in Japan. All workers in a company (n = 290) and all workers in three departments (n = 1,500) at the headquarters of another large company were recruited by an invitation e-mail. Participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups (N = 381 for each group). A six-week, six-lesson iCBT program using Manga (Japanese comic) story was developed. The program included several CBT skills: self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness, problem solving, and relaxation. The intervention group studied the iCBT program at a frequency of one lesson per week. Depression (Beck Depression Invento...
In this study the sole and the combined effects of active and non-active forms of coping on psych... more In this study the sole and the combined effects of active and non-active forms of coping on psychological distress across various kinds of job stressors were examined. Data on job stressors, coping and psychological distress were obtained from 4487 male employees of a research institute in the automobile industry in Japan (mean age=36.27 years, SD = 7.43). A hierarchical moderated
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on t... more The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on their stress responses, social support, and coping. Participants (n=24) were assigned to either an intervention or a waiting list control group. A five-session program, including psychoeducation, group discussion, role-playing and relaxation training, was conducted for the intervention group at two week intervals. Eight participants from each of the groups responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaire surveys. The positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.035), whereas the negative intervention effect was significant for proactive coping (p=0.033). No significant effect was observed for stress responses (vigor, anger, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and somatic stress responses) (p>0.05). The positive intervention effect was marginally significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.085) and anger (p=0.057) among those who at first had high stress response scores in the pre-intervention survey (n=5 and n=4 for the intervention and waiting list control groups, respectively). Furthermore, the positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co-workers (p=0.021) and marginally significant for resignation coping (p=0.070) among those who at first had high job control scores (n=4 and n=5 for the intervention and waiting list control groups, respectively). Results showed that the stress management program conducted in this study contributed to increasing social support from co-workers. This study suggests that a program that focuses on a particular subgroup (e.g., those with high stress responses or high job control) might be effective in enhancing coping skills, increasing social support, and reducing stress responses.
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2010
To investigate the cross-sectional association between organizational justice (i.e., procedural j... more To investigate the cross-sectional association between organizational justice (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) and psychological distress or work engagement, as well as the mediating roles of other job stressors (i.e., job demands and job control, or their combination, effort-reward imbalance [ERI], and worksite support). A total of 243 workers (185 males and 58 females) from a manufacturing factory in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire including the Organizational Justice Questionnaire, Job Content Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, K6 scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and other covariates. Multiple mediation analyses with the bootstrap technique were conducted. In the bivariate analysis, procedural justice and interactional justice were significantly and negatively associated with psychological distress; they were significantly and positively associated with work engagement. In the mediation analysis, reward at work (or ERI) significantly mediated between procedural justice or interactional justice and psychological distress; worksite support significantly mediated between procedural justice or interactional justice and work engagement. The effects of organizational justice on psychological distress seem to be mediated by reward at work (or ERI) while those regarding work engagement may be mediated by worksite support to a large extent, at least in Japanese workers.
Uploads
Papers by Akihito Shimazu