Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 16;18(16):8656. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168656.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Japanese workers psychological distress through crises of health, economics, and social relationships. To assess whether these effects are amplified by the gender bias that exists in Japan, we examined male and female worker's psychological distress and difficulties during the pandemic. An online "COVID-19-related difficulties" questionnaire, based on item response theory, gathered responses from 3464 workers in October and November 2020. The workers' psychological distress was found concerned to be significantly worse than before the pandemic. Basic stressors related to infection anxiety, economic anxiety, and restrictions on social interactions and outings. Men's and women's experiences of difficulties were consistent with traditional gender roles in Japan: men were more likely to face job-related stressors, such as economic insecurity and work-style changes; women were more likely to face non-job-related stressors, such as increased living costs and reduced social interactions. Policymakers and employers should consider the association between gender differences and industry types, and implement measures to strengthen the acceptability of mental health care.
新冠疫情通过健康、经济和社会关系危机给日本工人带来了心理困扰。为了评估这种影响是否因日本存在的性别偏见而加剧，我们研究了男性和女性工人在疫情期间的心理困扰和困难。2020 年 10 月和 11 月，我们采用基于项目反应理论的在线“新冠相关困难”问卷，对 3464 名工人进行了调查。研究发现，工人的心理困扰明显比疫情前更严重。基本压力源与感染焦虑、经济焦虑以及对社会互动和外出的限制有关。男性和女性所面临的困难与日本传统性别角色一致：男性更有可能面临与工作相关的压力源，如经济不稳定和工作方式的改变；女性更有可能面临与工作无关的压力源，如生活成本增加和社交互动减少。政策制定者和雇主应考虑性别差异与行业类型之间的关联，并采取措施加强对心理健康护理的接受度。
