People with mental disorders like depression or schizophrenia who are working have reportedly increased over eightfold in the last ten years.
This ties to economic downturns and competition with overseas firms, leading to routine overtime and high turnover in industries like food service, where “paper managers” are common. Black company scandals have been in the news lately too.
Of course, you can’t pin depression on just one cause like “this happened.”
But an eightfold rise in ten years suggests there were always some with depression. Back then, it wasn’t widely recognized—often labeled as “laziness” or “faking it”—so maybe it’s better seen as a modern disease.
Take the so-called “new-type depression”, where people only feel down during work. Over half quit within a year. Even in depression treatment and recovery stories, many develop it in their first or second year due to workplace stress.
But does that mean everyone with depression quits? With life costs to consider, quitting isn’t that simple, even for treatment.
So, companies are now expected to build the “capacity to hire” and support people with mental disorders to stay.
With no guarantee this trend will stop, legal changes since 2018 have made hiring them mandatory. NPOs and businesses might need to plan their next moves.
Maybe that’s why, as of August 2014, a Google search for “depression work” showed sites like DODA advertising they actively hire people with depression, with other companies posting job ads for depression patients.
This means hearing out their depression story and reasons. Some new jobs (not always, but sometimes) consider departments, cut overtime, or allow shorter hours for a while.
Ads like that show a real demand. I hope this leads to a world where depression patients can find better work environments, focus on treatment, and keep working with peace of mind.
※本記事は個人のうつ病体験談です。体験内容はあくまで個人の体験であり、医療アドバイスではありません。専門的なアドバイスを希望する場合は医師へ相談を。
※This article is a personal depression story. The content is solely based on personal experience and is not medical advice. Consult a doctor for professional advice.