Effects of participatory organizational interventions on mental health and work performance: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Participatory organizational interventions to improve psychosocial working conditions are important for a safe and healthy work environment. However, there are few systematic reviews or meta-analyses investigating the effects of these interventions on workers' mental health and work-related outcomes. We intend to apply the protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of participatory organizational intervention on mental health and work performance. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The participants, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes (PICO) of the studies in this systematic review and meta-analysis are defined as follows: (P) inclusion of all workers, (I) participatory organizational intervention, (C) treatment as usual or no intervention (including waitlist control), and (O) mental health and work performance. Published studies will be searched using the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, and Japan Medical Abstracts Society. Studies that (1) include participatory organizational intervention, (2) include participants who were working as of the baseline survey period, (3) assess mental health or work performance outcomes, (4) use a cluster randomized controlled trials design, (5) are published in English or Japanese, and (6) are published in peer-reviewed journals (including advanced online publication) will be included. Study selection and the risk-of-bias assessment will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. A meta-analysis will be performed to statistically synthesize the included studies. Publication bias will be assessed for meta-bias using Egger's test as well as visually on a funnel plot. We will assess heterogeneity by using the Q statistic.

A proposed definition of participatory organizational interventions.

Participatory organizational interventions offer an effective way to promote occupational safety and health. Despite an increasing number of studies, a common definition of participatory organizational interventions has yet to be established. Therefore, we aimed to form a definition using the following process. First, we developed a tentative draft definition of organizational interventions and participatory elements, based on the relevant literature. The tentative definition was revised in several rounds of an extensive discussion by the authors. This resulted in the draft definition. We asked 15 selected international experts in occupational safety and health to review and comment on the draft definition. We carefully reviewed their comments, and formulated our final proposed definition. To summarize the key points of the final version of the definition, organizational interventions are planned actions that primarily directly target working conditions with the aim of promoting and maintaining of the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of workers in all occupations. In addition, as participatory elements of organizational interventions in the final definition, ideally, all workers participate in every step of the intervention, while participating in part of the steps of the intervention in some cases. Furthermore, in principle, all workers participate in each step of intervention, while it is also acceptable that only elected representatives among workers participate in the intervention.

Usage of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire: A Systematic Review of a Comprehensive Job Stress Questionnaire in Japan from 2003 to 2021.

The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) is used widely in occupational health studies and practice. Summarizing scientific production based on measurement is crucial. This study aimed to systematically review observational studies that used the BJSQ and the New BJSQ to show their usability. A systematic search was conducted for studies investigating relationships between the BJSQ or the New BJSQ subscales and other validated measurements on 13 September 2021, in various literature databases. The BJSQ subscales, scoring methods, and other validated measurements in the studies were qualitatively summarized. In total, 145 published reports between 2003 and 2021 were included. Among the BJSQ subscales, job stressors (n = 95) such as quantitative job overload (n = 65) and job control (n = 64) were most often used. The subscales were utilized to investigate the relationships with several other measurements. Five reports used subscales from the New BJSQ. In the last two decades, the BJSQ and the New BJSQ help measure psychosocial factors (PF) at work and contribute to the publication of scientific papers in the occupational health field. This study would encourage the utilization of the questionnaires for future research and practice.

Corrigendum: What kind of intervention is effective for improving subjective well-being among workers? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.528656.].

Resilience building for mood disorders: Theoretical introduction and the achievements of the Re-Work program in Japan.

Mood disorders are common, tend to recur, cause sickness absence, and lead to economic loss. Since past experiences of mood disorder episodes often increase future vulnerability, it is imperative to assist those mood disorder patients who want to resume working to build resilience to prevent relapse. Paralleling efforts in the West, a resilience-building program utilizing the principles of the Illness Management and Recovery program was first developed in Japan in 1997. The purpose of this survey is to introduce the concept and theory behind the Re-Work program and to review studies that report on program assessment, content, effects and associated factors, and prognosis of participants. A literature search performed with PubMed and Igaku chuou zasshi (Ichushi) identified 30 relevant studies. One of these reported on a tool developed to assess readiness for returning to work. Concerning program content, a group therapy setting and cognitive behavioral therapy were found to be effective. Physical exercise and relaxation techniques may be useful as secondary program components. Several studies report on program effects, but there may be factors that limit these effects. The prognosis for relapse prevention after the resumption of work may be better for Re-Work program participants than for a control group. Further research in this area is needed to confirm program effectiveness and related factors.

Measuring eudemonic well-being at work: a validation study for the 24-item the University of Tokyo Occupational Mental Health (TOMH) well-being scale among Japanese workers.

Although the eudemonic perspective seems to be a promising in considering vocational identity among working population, well-being at work has been discussed primarily in terms of subjective/hedonic well-being. This study aimed to develop a new tool to measure eudemonic well-being at work (The University of Tokyo Occupational Mental Health [TOMH] well-being 24 scale)and investigate its validity in a collectivist culture. Two online surveys were conducted with a total of 1,760 workers in Japan. We created 89 potential items from existing scales. An exploratory factor analysis indicated eight factors for the dimensions of measurement. After item selection based on item response theory, the factor structure with three items from each of the eight dimensions indicated an excellent fit for another sample. Cronbach's α and intra-class coefficients ranged from 0.671 to 0.845. The scores of the tool were more strongly associated with subjective well-being in the work context rather than well-being in general. In addition, the participants in the group demonstrating a higher risk for mental illness and a more stressful work environment indicated significantly lower scores, even after adjusting for general eudemonic well-being. The new measurement may be useful both for academic and practical applications for measuring eudemonic well-being at work, independent from general eudemonic well-being.

What Kind of Intervention Is Effective for Improving Subjective Well-Being Among Workers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objectives: This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to improve subjective well-being (SWB), including evaluative, hedonic, and eudemonic well-being, and the mental component of quality of life (QOL) of working population. Methods: A literature search was conducted, using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and PsycARTICLES. Eligible studies included those that were RCTs of any intervention, conducted among healthy workers, measured SWB as a primary outcome, and original articles in English. Study characteristics, intervention, outcomes, and results on SWB outcomes were extracted by the investigators independently. After a brief narrative summarizing and classifying the contents of the interventions, the included outcomes were categorized into each aspect of SWB (evaluative, hedonic, and eudemonic well-being, and the mental component of QOL). Finally, the characteristics of the effective interventions for increasing each aspect were summarized, and the pooled effect of interventions on SWB was investigated by a meta-analysis. Publication bias was investigated by drawing a funnel plot and conducting Egger's test. Results: From the 5,450 articles found, 39 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The interventions included in this review were classified into six categories (physical activity, ergonomics, psychological, environmental, multicomponent intervention, and others). The meta-analysis from 31 studies showed that the pooled effect of included interventions on SWB was significantly positive (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.51; standard error (SE) = 0.10). A funnel plot showed there were extremely large or small SMDs, and Egger's test was significant. Thus, we conducted sensitivity analysis, excluding these extreme SMDs, and confirmed that the estimated pooled effect was also significantly positive. Subgroup analyses for separate types of interventions showed the effects of psychological interventions (e.g., mindfulness, cognitive behavioral based approach, and other psychological interventions) were also significantly positive. Conclusion: The current study revealed the effectiveness of interventions for increasing SWB. Specifically, psychological interventions (e.g., mindfulness, cognitive behavioral based approach, and other psychological interventions) may be useful for improving SWB.

Association between psychosocial factors at work and health outcomes after retirement: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The world's population is rapidly ageing, and health among older people is thus an important issue. Several previous studies have reported an association between adverse psychosocial factors at work before retirement and postretirement health. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the association between psychosocial factors at work and health outcomes after retirement, based on a synthesis of well-designed prospective studies. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The participants, exposures, comparisons and outcomes of the studies in this systematic review and meta-analysis are defined as follows: (P) people who have retired from their job, (E) presence of adverse psychosocial factors at work before retirement, (C) absence of adverse psychosocial factors at work before retirement and (O) any physical and mental health outcomes after retirement. Published studies were searched using the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Japan Medical Abstracts Society. The included studies will be statistically synthesised in a meta-analysis to estimate pooled coefficients and 95% CIs. The quality of each included study will be assessed using the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies-of Interventions. For the assessment of meta-bias, publication bias will be assessed by using Egger's test, as well as visually on a funnel plot. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the χ² test with Cochran's Q statistic and I2. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Results and findings will be submitted and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal and will be disseminated broadly to researchers and policy-makers interested in the translatability of scientific evidence into good practices. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018099043.

Psychosocial factors at work and inflammatory markers: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inflammation may be a mediator for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), metabolic diseases and psychotic and neurodegenerative disorders. Meta-analytic associations between work-related psychosocial factors and inflammatory markers have shown that work-related psychosocial factors could affect the flexibility and balance of the immune system. However, few systematic reviews or meta-analyses have investigated the association between work-related psychosocial factors and inflammatory markers. Based on prospective studies, the present investigation will conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between work-related psychosocial factors and inflammatory markers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The systematic review and meta-analysis will include published studies identified from electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Web of Science and Japan Medical Abstracts Society) according to recommendations of the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline. Inclusion criteria are studies that: examined associations between work-related psychosocial factors and increased inflammatory markers; used longitudinal or prospective cohort designs; were conducted among workers; provided sufficient data for calculating ORs or relative risk with 95% CIs; were published as original articles in English or Japanese; and were published up to the end of 2017. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment and statistical syntheses will be conducted by 14 investigators. Any inconsistencies or disagreements will be resolved through discussion. The quality of studies will be evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The investigation study will be based on published studies, so ethics approval is not required. The results of this study will be submitted for publication in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The findings may be useful for assessing risk factors for increased inflammatory markers in the workplace and determining future approaches for preventing CVD, metabolic diseases and psychotic and neurodegenerative disorders. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018081553.

The prevalence of co-morbid depression among employees with type 2 diabetes in a Japanese corporation: a descriptive study using an integrated health database.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of comorbid depression among people with type 2 diabetes using the integrated health database. METHODS: A total of 6543 people aged 18-65 years were selected from the employees of a Japanese corporation. Using the corporation's integrated health database, which consisted of medical claims data and a self-reported questionnaire from the fiscal year 2000, this study was undertaken to identify the prevalence, the odds ratio and some related factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of co-morbid depression among people with type 2 diabetes was 2.6%. The crude odds ratio of co-morbid depression among those with type 2 diabetes was 2.20 (95% CI 0.88-5.50). After adjustment for covariates (gender, age, alcohol drinking, smoking, exercise, and dietary restriction), the odds ratio of co-morbid depression among those with type 2 diabetes was 2.33 (0.86-6.33). CONCLUSIONS: Using the integrated health database, it was suggested that patients with type 2 diabetes were more likely to suffer from depression and there was a relationship between depression and dietary restriction of portion control.

Work-related psychosocial factors and onset of metabolic syndrome among workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome is an important public health target because of its high prevalence worldwide. Work-related psychosocial factors have been identified as determinants of metabolic syndrome components. However, there have been no systematic reviews or meta-analyses conducted to evaluate the relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and metabolic syndrome as an aggregated cluster. The aim of this study is to examine this association from published prospective studies. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted using published studies that will be identified from electronic databases (ie, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Japan Medical Abstracts Society). Studies that (1) examined the association between work-related psychosocial factors and the onset of metabolic syndrome, (2) had a longitudinal or prospective cohort design, (3) were conducted among workers, (4) provided sufficient data for calculating ORs or relative risk with a 95% CI, (5) were published as original articles written in English or Japanese, and (6) having been published until the end of 2016 will be included. Study selection, data collection, quality assessment and statistical syntheses will be conducted based on discussions among investigators. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was not required for this study because it was based on published studies. The results and findings of this study will be submitted and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The findings from this study could be useful for assessing metabolic syndrome risk factors in the workplace, and determining approaches for prevention of metabolic syndrome in the future. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42016039096 (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO_REBRANDING/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016039096).

The effect of the development of an emergency transfer system on the travel time to tertiary care centres in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, the emergency medical system is categorized into three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary, depending on the severity of the condition of the patient. Tertiary care centres accept patients who require 24-h monitoring. In this research, the average travel times (minutes) from the centroids of all municipalities in Japan to the nearest tertiary care centre were estimated, using the geographic information system. The systems affecting travel time to tertiary care centres were also examined. Regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting the travel time to tertiary care centres, using selected variables representing road conditions and the emergency transfer system. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify specific benchmarks that would be effective in reducing the average travel time to tertiary care centres in prefectures with travel times longer than the average 57 min. RESULTS: The mean travel time was 57 min, the range was 83 min, and the standard deviation was 20.4. As a result of multiple regression analysis, average coverage area per tertiary care centre, kilometres of highway road per square kilometre, and population were selected as variables with impact on the average travel time. Based on results from linear regression analysis, benchmarks for the emergency transfer system that would effectively reduce travel time to the mean value of 57 min were identified: 26% pavement ratio of roads (percentage of paved road to general roads), and three tertiary care centres and 108 ambulances. CONCLUSION: Regional gaps in the travel time to tertiary care centres were identified in Japan. The systems we should focus on to reducing travel time were identified. Further reduction of travel time to tertiary care centres can be effectively achieved by improving these specific systems. Linear regression analysis showed that a 26% pavement ratio and three tertiary care centres are beneficial to prefectures with an average time longer than the mean score, to achieve a reduction of travel time. Measures for reducing travel time need to be considered in policy-making to re-evaluate the current locations of tertiary care centres to provide equality of access to emergency medicine.

Association between lifestyle-disease diagnosis or risk status and medical care costs in a Japanese corporation.

PURPOSE: This study examined the differences in medical care costs among (1) individuals who carried the diagnosis of selected lifestyle diseases (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia), (2) individuals whose levels of risks (blood glucose, blood pressure, and total cholesterol) satisfied the diagnosis guidelines yet who did not carry the diagnoses, (3) individuals who had these risks but whose risk levels were not high enough to satisfy the diagnosis guidelines, and (4) individuals without the risks. DESIGN: A one-time cross-sectional design was used. Health checkup data and medical-claims data obtained from the fiscal year 2000 were examined for correlations. SAMPLE: A total of 3292 employees aged 34 years and older were selected from the entire employee population of 6543 in a Japanese corporation. Employees younger than 34 years old were excluded because their clinical risk data were not available. MEASURES: On the basis of their absence or presence of diagnoses (obtained from medical claims) and underlying risk levels (obtained from health checkups), employees were categorized into (1) the diagnosed group, (2) the extremely high-risk group, (3) the high-risk group, or (4) the no-risk group. Reimbursement points on medical care claims were summed for each individual during the study period and multiplied by 10 to calculate the total medical care costs, as each point in the reimbursement request form represents 10 yen. ANALYSIS: The high-cost case analysis was used. First, the high costs were determined as the costs at or above the 90th percentile. The diagnosis or risk status was examined in its relation to the newly created dichotomous variable (whether the medical costs were at or above the threshold or were lower than the threshold) by using a chi2 test. Furthermore, excluding the diagnosed group, a chi2 test was performed to examine the relationships between the levels of risk and the likelihood of incurring any medical care costs (use vs. nonuse). RESULTS: Approximately 15% of employees were already diagnosed with at least one of the three diseases (the diagnosed group; n = 490). One-quarter of employees had at least one risk that was high enough to be diagnosed with the corresponding disease if they had sought medical care (the extremely high-risk group; n = 809). There were 1343 employees in the high-risk group and 650 employees in the no-risk group. The diagnosed group had much higher chances of incurring medical care costs at or above the 90th percentile than did any other risk or no-risk group. No difference among the three risk or no-risk groups was found in mean medical care costs or in the likelihood of any use of medical care services after controlling for the effect of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: In a Japanese employee population, the diagnosis status of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension was found to be associated with higher medical care costs while risk levels for the diseases were not in a 1-year time period.