Mental Health Literacy

Comparing education systems in both UK and Japan isn't merely through the lens of teaching and content. Education is a holistic experience which includes access to clubs, resources and support structures. 

Recently I returned to England because my grandmother passed away. At Waseda, we are allowed one week off for family bereavement which can be slightly extended for international visits. I took 10 days off in total to fly home, help organise proceedings, return and recover. I informed my department’s office of my circumstance and was told to inform my teachers individually. Upon returning to Japan, I again spoke with my department and was told I needed to come to the office to fill in paper work, that I would need to copy and bring to each of my professors to begin a process of making up course content, subject to each individual professor’s discretion.

The system at Waseda appeared unsympathetic, burdening the individual suffering with relaying painful information and organizing how to make up for classes and deadlines missed. I wanted to compare this directly to the approach at UCL. At times when I have been under duress, I have been able to send the information about my problems to a body which assesses and decides upon extensions and extenuating circumstances. At Waseda, I began to realise that there are few support networks in place. In our orientation, we were provided with forms regarding the practical implications of living in Japan, on course registration and joining extra-curricular clubs. However, I do not know the structural hierarchy of my department in case of an emergency, I do not have a personal tutor, nor do I know whom I should reach out to beyond the office departments generic e-mail for support. At UCL the support structures are clearly laid out. We are supported by our tutors, heads of departments and beyond if required. 

Mental health and common mental disorders are shaped to a great extent by the social, economic, and physical environments in which people live (WHO, 2014). With such differences between England and Japan, I began to consider the mental health literacy at Waseda and in wider Japanese society. Talking with friends and researching into the issue, Japan has a significant problem with stigma surrounding mental health issues (Griffiths et al., 2006). As a result, it constrains the use of available resources, discouraging those in need (Saxena et al., 2007). As an international exchange student, ‘the demands for cultural adjustments frequently place international students at greater risk for various psychological problems’ (Mori, 2000). Yet, in education, we are more privileged in being able to receive support through education funding and more empowered to receive such assistance through greater awareness of mental wellbeing. 

Beyond the academic setting, Japan is also known to have a high suicide rate, yet only in 2006 was a law passed pledging to address such rates (Harding, 2016). Additionally, the continued stress and conflict between work and family roles continue to be a source of mental health issues (Chandola et al, 2004). If there is a place for the stigma of mental health to be critiqued, it should begin with education and follow on into working and familial life. 

References

Chandola, T., Martikainen, P., Bartley, M., Lahelma, E., Marmot, M., Michikazu, S., Nasermoaddeli, A., and S. Kagamimori (2004) Does conflict between home and work explain the effect of multiple roles on mental health? A comparative study of Finland, Japan, and the UK, International Journal of Epidemiology, 33, 4: 884–893.

Griffiths, K. M., Nakane, Y., Christensen, H., Yoshioka, K., Jorm, A. F., Nakane, H. (2006) Stigma in response to mental disorders: a comparison of Australia and Japan, BMB Psychiatry, 6, 21: 1-12.

Harding, C (2016) How Japan Came to Believe in Depression. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36824927. Accessed: 01.07.2018.

Kawakami, N., Takeshima, T., Ono, Y., Uda, H., Hata, Y., Nakane, Y., Nakane, H., Iwata, N., Furukawa, T and Kikkawa, T. (2005) Twelve‐month prevalence, severity, and treatment of common mental disorders in communities in Japan: preliminary finding from the World Mental Health Japan Survey 2002-2003, Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 59, 4: 441-452.

Mori, S. C. (2000) Adressing the Mental Health Concerns of International Students, Journal of Counseling and Development, 78: 137-144.

Saxena, S., Thornicroft, G., Knapp, M., Whiteford, H (2007) Resources for mental health: scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency, The Lancet, 370, 9590: 878-889.

World Health Organization (2014) Social Determinants of Mental Health Report.