As the number of local government employees who are absent from work due to depression is increasing, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is conducting a fact-finding survey for the first time in all local governments nationwide.
Based on the results, we plan to put together measures within this fiscal year.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of local government employees who took a break from work due to mental illness such as depression was 327 per 100,000 in 1999, but it was 1643 in 2019. It means that it has increased five times in the last 20 years.
In response to this situation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is conducting a fact-finding survey on mental illness and work for the first time in all prefectures and municipalities nationwide.
In the survey, in addition to the situation of employees who took a break from work for more than a week due to mental illness last year, we asked about preventive measures, efforts to return to work, and issues in taking measures.
Based on the survey results, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has a policy of arranging measures according to the business within this fiscal year after discussing at a study group made up of experts.