Work-related Stress, Caregiver Role, and Depressive Symptoms among Japanese Workers

Background In Japan, more than 60% of employees are reported to suffer from anxiety and stress. Consequently, Japanese society has begun to address such important issues as psychogenic disability and job-related suicide. Furthermore, given the aging of society and the surge in the number of elderly people requiring care, it is necessary to adequately and proactively support employees who care for their elderly relatives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate caregiver burden in caring for elderly relatives and work-related stress factors associated with mental health among employees. Methods We studied 722 men and women aged 18-83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine mental health status. Results The proportion of participants with a high K10 score was 15% (n = 106). Having little conversation with their supervisor and/or coworkers significantly increased the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.8], as did high job overload (OR 2.7) and job dissatisfaction (OR 3.8), compared with employees who frequently conversed with their supervisor and/or coworkers. Caring for elderly relatives as a prominent characteristic of an employee was a significant risk factor for depression (OR 2.1). Conclusion The present study demonstrated that employees who were caring for elderly relatives were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. To prevent depressive disorders, it may be important to focus on reducing the work-caregiving role conflict, as well as enhancing employees\u27 job control and better rewarding their efforts in the workplace

Wives and Daughters: The Differential Role of Day Care Use in the Nursing Home Placement of Cognitively Impaired Family Members

Purpose: To expand knowledge concerning the significance of kin relationships in caregiving, this study assessed predictors of the timing of institutionalization for persons with dementia. The focus was on whether use of adult day care by wives and daughters holds the same implications for placement. Design and Methods: Guided by a caregiving stress process model, primary objective and subjective stressors, secondary stressors, caregiver well-being, and use of day care services were included as predictors. Cox proportional hazards models were tested using a sample of 371 community-dwelling caregivers, including 141 wives and 230 daughters and daughters-in-law. Results: The main effect of kinship was found to be significant before interactions were introduced. Adult day care use at Time 1, role captivity, role overload, and social impact were subsequently found to interact with kinship. Analyses indicated that wives who used adult day care placed their husbands to a nursing home earlier than their counterparts. Among daughters, however, those who used adult day care were more likely to postpone the placement. The influence of role overload was also stronger in wives than in daughters in predicting the timing of placement. A similar pattern was observed in the interaction between social impact and kinship. Implications: The results demonstrate that factors influencing nursing home placement may vary according to the caregiver's familial relationship to the relative. Different approaches may be needed when targeting wife vs. daughter caregivers, especially when designing adult day care programs