Download This Paper
Preprints with The Lancet is a collaboration between The Lancet Group of journals and SSRN to facilitate the open sharing of preprints for early engagement, community comment, and collaboration. Preprints available here are not Lancet publications or necessarily under review with a Lancet journal. These preprints are early-stage research papers that have not been peer-reviewed. The usual SSRN checks and a Lancet-specific check for appropriateness and transparency have been applied. The findings should not be used for clinical or public health decision-making or presented without highlighting these facts. For more information, please see the FAQs.
Fear, Worry and Workplace Harassment Related to the COVID-19 Epidemic Among Employees in Japan: Prevalence and Impact on Mental and Physical Health
12 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2020
More...Abstract
Background: Prevalence of fear, worry, and workplace harassment related to COVID-19, and their impact on employees’ mental and physical health, has not been reported.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study retrieving the sample from the cohort of full-time employees in February 2019 (n=4,120). Participants (n=1,448, 35.1%) completed an online self-report questionnaire on March 19-22, 2020. We explored the frequency and examined whether global and specific fears, worries and workplace harassment related to COVID-19 had effects on employees’ psychological distress and physical symptoms.
Findings: Among 1,421 respondents, 80% had global fear or worry; more than two-thirds feared infection; and more than 30% worried about job instability as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of 50 respondents (2.3%) had experienced workplace harassment related to COVID-19. Most of the fear, worry and workplace harassment were weakly but significantly associated with psychological distress and physical symptoms. Respondents with chronic physical conditions reported more global fear and worry.
Interpretation: This cross-sectional study of employees of Japan showed a high prevalence of fear, worry, and workplace harassment related to COVID-19. Most of these findings were associated with poor mental and physical health. Occupational health professionals and primary care physicians, therefore, need to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace and take care of patients at risk of contracting COVID-19.
Funding Statement: This work was supported by internal funds of the Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo.
Declaration of Interests: None.
Ethics Approval Statement: Following approval by the research ethics committee of the Graduate School of Medicine and the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (No. 10856-(2)), we conducted an online survey of the baseline respondents from 19 to 22 March 2020.
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, novel coronavirus, harrasment, worker, occupational health, mental health
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation