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Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Yasuhiro Kotera

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK)

  • Akihiko Ozaki

    (Department of Breast Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki 972-8322, Japan
    Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo 108-0074, Japan)

  • Hirotomo Miyatake

    (Orange Home-Care Clinic, Fukui 910-0018, Japan)

  • Chie Tsunetoshi

    (Department of Community Health Nursing, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1104, Japan)

  • Yoshitaka Nishikawa

    (Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan)

  • Makoto Kosaka

    (Orange Home-Care Clinic, Fukui 910-0018, Japan)

  • Tetsuya Tanimoto

    (Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo 108-0074, Japan)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of healthcare workers in many countries including Japan. While many survey-based findings have reported the serious state of their wellbeing among healthcare workers, the first-hand experience of the mental health and coping in this population remains to be evaluated. Accordingly, this study aimed to appraise them using constructionist thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews attended by a purposive and snowball sample of 24 healthcare workers in Japan conducted in December 2020–January 2021. Four themes were identified: (1) increased stress and loneliness, (2) reduced coping strategies, (3) communication and acknowledgement as a mental health resource, and (4) understanding of self-care. Participants noted that the characteristics of Japanese work culture such as long hours, collectivism and hatarakigai (i.e., meaning in work) to explain these themes. These findings suggest that robust support at an organizational and individual level, capturing intrinsic values, are particularly important for this key workforce to cope with increased stress and loneliness, leading to better patient care.

Suggested Citation

  • Yasuhiro Kotera & Akihiko Ozaki & Hirotomo Miyatake & Chie Tsunetoshi & Yoshitaka Nishikawa & Makoto Kosaka & Tetsuya Tanimoto, 2022. "Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:568-:d:717935
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jeff Huarcaya-Victoria & Beltran Villarreal-Rao & Matilde Luna & Wendoline Rojas-Mendoza & Christoper A. Alarcon-Ruiz & David Villarreal-Zegarra & Ana L. Vilela-Estrada & Samantha Ramírez, 2022. "Factors Associated with Mental Health Outcomes in Hospital Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Saule Sipaviciene, 2022. "The Relationships between Psychological Well-Being, Emotions and Coping in COVID-19 Environment: The Gender Aspect for Postgraduate Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-13, August.
    3. Yasuhiro Kotera & Muhammad Aledeh & Annabel Rushforth & Nelly Otoo & Rory Colman & Elaina Taylor, 2022. "A Shorter Form of the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale: Construction and Factorial Validation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-11, October.
    4. Mateusz Grajek & Karolina Krupa-Kotara & Mateusz Rozmiarek & Karolina Sobczyk & Eliza Działach & Michał Górski & Joanna Kobza, 2022. "The Level of COVID-19 Anxiety among Oncology Patients in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-14, September.
    5. Yasuhiro Kotera & Habib Adam & Ann Kirkman & Muhammad Aledeh & Michelle Brooks-Ucheaga & Olamide Todowede & Stefan Rennick-Egglestone & Jessica Eve Jackson, 2023. "Positive Mental Health of Migrants in the UK during COVID-19: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(22), pages 1-11, November.
    6. Yasuhiro Kotera & Kenichi Asano & Hiromasa Kotera & Remi Ohshima & Annabel Rushforth, 2022. "Mental Health of Japanese Workers: Amotivation Mediates Self-Compassion on Mental Health Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-11, August.
    7. Yasuhiro Kotera & Holly Young & Sarah Maybury & Muhammad Aledeh, 2022. "Mediation of Self-Compassion on Pathways from Stress to Psychopathologies among Japanese Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-11, September.
    8. Annabel Rushforth & Mia Durk & Gabby A. A. Rothwell-Blake & Ann Kirkman & Fiona Ng & Yasuhiro Kotera, 2023. "Self-Compassion Interventions to Target Secondary Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-14, June.

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