NLP for Japanese workers’ mental well-being: pilot study
| Date | 29 August 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHRJ-09-2018-0030 |
| Published date | 29 August 2019 |
| Pages | 183-194 |
| Author | Yasuhiro Kotera,David Sheffield |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health |
NLP for Japanese workers’mental
well-being: pilot study
Yasuhiro Kotera and David Sheffield
Abstract
Purpose –Although numerous national and organisational level approaches have taken to improve their
mental health, Japanese workers still suffer from high rates of mental health problems. Despite its worldwide
application, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) has not been evaluated for these problems in-depth. The
purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of NLP training for mental health among Japanese workers.
Design/methodology/approach –A pre-post test design with repeated measurements was used with
30 Japanese workers, who were undertaking NLP Practitioner Certification training. The effects on mental
health were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental
Well-being Scale at pre-training, post-training and a three-month follow-up.
Findings –The mean scores of depression and stress decreased significantly, and mental well-being
increased significantly between pre-training and post-training and between pre-training and follow-up. There
was no significant difference between post-training and the follow-up for any of the measures.
Practical implications –The results suggest this training was effective for mental health of Japanese
workers, and the positive effects on mental well-being were sustained.
Originality/value –This is the first ever study to empirically evaluate the effects of the regulated NLP training
on the mental health of Japanese workers, conducted by researchers well-versed in NLP. This training might
be conducive to improving the mental health of the Japanese workforce. Larger scale and/or controlled
studies are needed.
Keywords Mental health, Neuro-linguistic programming
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Japan has suffered from mental health problems for years. Despite its steady population, the
number of depressed patients has been increasing; 441,000 in 1999 and 1,041,000 in 2008 –
an increase of 136 per cent in these ten years (MHLW, 2015). Japan has one of the highest
rates of suicide a mong developed co untries (Organi sation for Econom ic Co-operation a nd
Development, 2015). Approximately 30 per cent of these people were employed, and half of
these suicide cases were work related (National Police Agency, 2016). Among Japanese
workforce, 60 per cent experienced intense anxiety and stress, and the number of
compensation claims for mental health problems in Japanese organisations increased more
than seven times (200 in 2000 to 1,500 in 2015; MHLW, 2016). The Japanese Government has
enacted several new policies in the past two decades to reduce workers’mental health
problems. The first extensive initiative was established in 2002 focusing on thorough
occupational health consultations and medical examinations (Iwasaki et al., 2006). In 2014,the
government passed a new act focusing on prevention of karoshi (i.e. death from overwork;
Kopp, 2017), requiring more transparency of workers’health (MHLW, 2014). More recently the
work-style reform has been passed, aiming to reduce overtime working, a leading cause for
Japanese workers ’health problems (Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet, 2016).
Accordingly, more companies have implemented mental health support (23.5 per cent in 2002
and 47.2 per cent in 2012), such as training for managers and more support for employees
who have returned from mental health leave (MHLW, 2013). Despite these attempts, however,
Received 13 September 2018
Revised 10 May 2019
30 May 2019
Accepted 10 June 2019
Yasuhiro Kotera and
David Sheffield are both based
at the University of Derby,
Derby, UK.
DOI 10.1108/MHRJ-09-2018-0030 VOL. 24 NO. 3 2019, pp. 183-194, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1361-9322
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MENTALHEALTH REVIEW JOURNAL
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