I work in the fast-paced and competitive technology industry in Japan. Since Covid 19 happened, I have seen more colleagues suffering from depression and having to take a leave of absence than ever before. According to Yoshioka et al. (2022), Japanese people during the pandemic, especially women and the younger generation, are exposed to various stresses in employment and life situations, and as a result, their mental health deteriorates, and the suicide rate trend in Japan has increased significantly from April 2020 to December 2021, compared to the period before the Covid-19 pandemic. Is there any job more important than one’s health? I started to think.
One colleague took a leave of absence due to depression caused by her job responsibilities and pressures from clients. She was mainly in charge of managing the whole team, which may have been huge pressure on her. I later heard that she was unable to finish her work on time, had to devote more time to work at night and on weekends, got less sleep, and suffered from self-loathing. She also felt lonely because she was spending less time with her family and friends than before.
Tight deadlines, client negotiations, and management are quite stressful. If she had been able to receive social support and seek help from others when she felt such stress, it might have reduced her frustration (Gruman et al., 2016). Or, if she had been able to receive informational support, such as advice from peers or supervisors about her managerial role, it could have reduced her anxiety (Gruman et al., 2016).
If it seems that the burden is unevenly distributed to one member, or if someone seems to be struggling, it is of course important for those around them to support the member, but I also feel that it is important to seek support on one’s own. There is no shame in asking for support. I don’t think there is any work worth doing until you get sick, and we can only do great work if we take care of ourselves.
Resources
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
Yoshioka, E., Hanley, S. J. B., Sato, Y., & Saijo, Y. (2022). Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on suicide rates in Japan through December 2021: An interrupted time series analysis. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, 24, 100480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100480
There are many theories that can explain the onset of feelings of hopelessness in employees who are suffering from depression. According to the expectancy theory, when valence, instrumentality, and expectancy are high, motivational force would be high as well (Lawler & Suttle, 2004). If an employee feels low satisfaction on valance, which is the value placed on the rewards of desirable outcome, they will have low motivation. A person may feel hopeless at work if they believe that are not obtaining the desired outcome from the job. Another theory to consider is the equity theory, which focuses on fairness between input and outcomes in social exchanges with importance to social comparisons (Lawler, 1968). Input refers to the value a person brings into an organization and outcomes are the benefits they receive. If an employee believes they have a greater input to outcome ratio, it would create feelings of underpayment inequity. In order to find balance, some will withdraw from work or even quit as a result.
References
Lawler, E. E., & Suttle, J. L. (2004, August 26). Expectancy theory and job behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0030507373900664
Lawler, E. E. (1968). Apa PsycNet. American Psychological Association. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1969-07445-001
Such a heartbreaking thing to hear. Your job should be a source of income so you can experience life to the fullest once you leave or it should provide purpose and meaning in your life. To see that one’s job is causing such stress and mental health issues is discouraging. I agree that social support should be more readily available within the work environment. This starts with leaders being cognizant of their employee’s workload and mental state. Additionally, employees should be taught what healthy work boundaries are to ensure they are able to appropriately handle their tasks and responsibilities. It has been shown that conflict between work and family life negatively impacts job satisfaction (Bulger et al., 2007). This conflict can have negative affects through their professional and social lives. To combat this conflict, it’s important to explore social support options within an organization, like you suggested. Social support within the workplace is known “to be positively predictive of job satisfaction and other positive outcomes” (Harris et al., 2007, p. 150). Specifically, career mentoring and task support are shown to be predictive of job satisfaction where task support is when work ideas are shared and career mentoring is when employees have an advisor, supervisor, or peer to turn to when needing guidance or advise (Harris et al., 2007). With those types of social support in place, maybe she would have been better equipped to handle the stressors of her job.
Great post!
References
Bulger, C. A., Matthews, R. A., & Hoffman, M. E. (2007). Work and personal life boundary management: Boundary strength, work/personal life balance, and the segmentation-integration continuum. Journal of occupational health psychology, 12(4), 365.
Harris, J. I., Winskowski, A. M., & Engdahl, B. E. (2007). Types of workplace social support in the prediction of job satisfaction. The career development quarterly, 56(2), 150-156.