Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb;70(1):132-143.
doi: 10.1177/00207640231196742. Epub 2023 Sep 8.

Mental health and current issues of migrant workers in Japan: A cross-sectional study of Vietnamese workers

Akihito Uezato  1 , Kohei Sakamoto  2 , Mieko Miura  3 , Akane Futami  4 , Toshihiko Nakajima  5   6   7 , Pham Nguyen Quy  8 , Soi Jeong  9 , Shigeru Tomita  10 , Yoshihisa Saito  11 , Yui Fukuda  12 , Nonoka Yoshizawa  12 , Atsuko Taguchi  12
Affiliations

Mental health and current issues of migrant workers in Japan: A cross-sectional study of Vietnamese workers

Akihito Uezato et al. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Over the past 5 years, the number of Vietnamese migrant workers in Japan has grown rapidly to become the largest group of migrant workers in the country. They hold various statuses of residence and are subjected to multifactorial stressors.

Aims: The current study's aim is to investigate the association between psychological distress experienced by Vietnamese workers and their work environment. Another aim is to discuss issues involving migrant workers by comparing the characteristics of workers in the major statuses of residence.

Methods: The study applied a cross-sectional design, and included a nationwide self-administered online questionnaire that was conducted in Vietnamese in 2022. The questionnaire included the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), workplace interpersonal factors as well as factors related to work and health. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate factors associated with psychological distress.

Results: Of 933 Vietnamese workers, 37% were grouped as distressed under the K10 cutoff. Fewer opportunities to speak with Japanese co-workers, lower welfare and workload ratings, and the visa statuses including 'Technical Intern Training' were significantly associated with psychological distress. Unexpectedly, those in 'Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (ESI)' category who are deemed to hold better conditions demonstrated the highest amounts of distress.

Conclusion: Outside of unsatisfactory working environments, differing situations depending on status of residence could produce various sources of distress. The difficult aspects of Japan's distinct culture seem to contribute to their distress, especially for those who have more interactions with Japanese co-workers. A push for a multicultural society, where migrant workers can pursue proactive life designs of their own choosing, is warranted.

Keywords: Japan; Vietnamese; acculturation; adaptation; mental health; migrant worker.

PubMed Disclaimer