Cross-Cultural Factors on Workers’ Mental Health - From the Experience of the EAP Service

There are various stress factors on employees who work in a different culture and such cross-cultural factors cannot be ignored. Occupational mental health is now an issue discussed by the Government, but information from the Human Resources Department of companies indicates that the support system for workers who work out of Japan is not yet well-developed. Meanwhile, cases from an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service show the reality of Japanese workers’ situation in different cultures and how they cope with stress with the assistance of the EAP. This paper indicates that not only is support needed for each individual case, but also a support system for companies including consulting, sharing information and networking is required. This is a challenge for mental health specialists.