Presentation Information
[O-3-04]Mental Health Research on Immigrants in Japan (2020-2024): Trends and Unaddressed Issues
*Janice Y. Tsoh1,2 (1.University of California San Francisco(United States of America), 2.Toho University Faculty of Medicine(Japan))
Keywords:
Cultural psychiatry,Immigrant mental health,Social psychiatry,Narrative review,Japan
BACKGROUND: Japan’s immigrant population has surged due to an aging population, declining birth rate, and immigration policy changes addressing labor shortages. In 2024, over 3.7 million immigrants constitute 2.7% of Japan’s population. Immigrants face mental health challenges exacerbated by language barriers, cultural differences, and socio-economic factors. This study identified recent trends and unaddressed areas in mental health research on immigrants in Japan through a narrative review of English-based literature.
METHOD: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Embase, focusing on English-based studies published between 2020 and 2024. Keywords related to mental health and immigrants, including “Japan” in the title or abstract, were used. The search yielded 89 non-duplicate articles; 54 were excluded due to reasons such as no mental health variables assessed (32%), not immigrant-focused (24%), and not including immigrants living in Japan (22%). The final sample included 36 articles. Data on study design, methodology, key topics, and findings were extracted and thematically analyzed to identify dominant research trends.
RESULTS: The 36 studies included 9,285 participants predominantly from Vietnam (28%), China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan (22.5%), Brazil (10.6%), Korea (10.2%), and the Philippines (5.4%). Cross-sectional surveys were most common (56%), followed by qualitative interviews (17%), mixed-methods (8.3%), and longitudinal designs (8.3%). Medical records were the primary source in 4 studies (11%), and 1 (3%) was intervention study. Research focused on seven major themes: COVID-19 impacts on mental health, parental and child well-being, workplace and job satisfaction, social and community support, acculturation and ethnic identity, mental health assessment and intervention, and mental healthcare access and barriers.
CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights diverse research areas in immigrant mental health but reveals gaps in treatment and services research. Addressing evolving mental health needs in Japan’s diverse immigrant communities requires comprehensive efforts, focusing on these gaps to enhance overall well-being.
METHOD: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Embase, focusing on English-based studies published between 2020 and 2024. Keywords related to mental health and immigrants, including “Japan” in the title or abstract, were used. The search yielded 89 non-duplicate articles; 54 were excluded due to reasons such as no mental health variables assessed (32%), not immigrant-focused (24%), and not including immigrants living in Japan (22%). The final sample included 36 articles. Data on study design, methodology, key topics, and findings were extracted and thematically analyzed to identify dominant research trends.
RESULTS: The 36 studies included 9,285 participants predominantly from Vietnam (28%), China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan (22.5%), Brazil (10.6%), Korea (10.2%), and the Philippines (5.4%). Cross-sectional surveys were most common (56%), followed by qualitative interviews (17%), mixed-methods (8.3%), and longitudinal designs (8.3%). Medical records were the primary source in 4 studies (11%), and 1 (3%) was intervention study. Research focused on seven major themes: COVID-19 impacts on mental health, parental and child well-being, workplace and job satisfaction, social and community support, acculturation and ethnic identity, mental health assessment and intervention, and mental healthcare access and barriers.
CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights diverse research areas in immigrant mental health but reveals gaps in treatment and services research. Addressing evolving mental health needs in Japan’s diverse immigrant communities requires comprehensive efforts, focusing on these gaps to enhance overall well-being.