Work environment and job stress for medical professionals between Japan and the U.S.

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The objective of this study is to investigate the difference of work environment and job stress between Japanese and the U.S.medical professionals, especially nurses. The final goal is to obtain good strategy for solving work-related mental health problems of medical professionals in each country.With self-administered questionnaires measuring job stress and mental health status, two pilot studies (Japan and the U.S.site ; 197 and 28 effective cases, respectively) and one main study (Japan site ; 1065 effective cases) were carried out in 1993-1994. The scales for assessing job stress and mental health were considered to be reliable and valid after analyzes of the pilot studies in both countries.The results suggest that Japanese nurse are more depressed and not satisfied with their job, having less support from their husband/wife and their family/friends, less job control in their work places, and more stress on job future ambiguity, in the circumstances on much working/extra-working time and much tasks that they do not regard as their own. Also, among Japanese health professionals, hospital nurses are found to be more depressed, more stressed on job future ambiguity, and less satisfied with their job than public health nurses nad midwifes.Thus, several aspects of the work circumstances for Japanese nurses should be improved to prevent various mental health troubles. For further analyzes, especially for exact comparison between the two countries, main study in the U.S.site are now ready to be conducted.