Preventing mood disorders associated with suicide-related behaviors among small- and medium-size enterprise workers in Japan

Background: While the suicide rate in Japan has recently declined, it is still high from a global perspective. Recently, suicides related to unemployment caused by COVID-19 have increased. In addition, because of increases in karoshi and industrial accidents, mental health measures for workers have become an urgent issue. We previously conducted a study that tested whether screening for mood disorders, which were strongly associated with suicide-related behavior, helps prevent suicide in small and medium-size enterprise workers, where mental health support was insufficient. The current study builds on 2 the previous study’s findings that mental illness screening helps identify mood disorders and may provide a primary prevention method for suicide. Methods: A total of 1,411 consenting workers were surveyed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). A representative module of each disease item was extracted and analyzed. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D), Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-J), and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDISS) were used as secondary assessments. We compared individuals with depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia, and mood disorders with a control group. In addition, we conducted multivariate analyses to investigate items that identified individuals with depression, mood dysregulation, bipolar disorder, or all-inclusive mood disorders. Results The adjusted odds ratios in the anxiety disorders groups were 3.2 for panic disorder, 2.6 for social anxiety disorder, 2.1 for agoraphobia, and 1.8 for generalized anxiety disorder; 2.1 for obsessive compulsive disorders; and 2.8 for the bulimia nervosa group. These results show a significant correlation with mental illnesses that are referred to as neuroses in a conventional diagnosis. Conclusion: The study found that screening for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and eating disorders contributes to preventing mood disorders among workers. We hope that our findings will indirectly contribute to preventing workers’ suicides.