Regarding the Aug. 22 article "Family doctors enlisted in war on depression": I don't think the health and labor ministry really understands what is causing an increasing number of people to suffer from depression and thus contributing to the toll of more than 30,000 suicides every year. According to a recent article, in a ministry survey of workers conducted at Tokyo-based medium- and small-size companies, one in four respondents answered "yes" when asked if they had thought of committing suicide in the past year.
Why do we feel like killing ourselves? At my workplace, the view seems to be that it has become harder and harder to establish a relationship of mutual trust in the workplace in recent years. Distrust produces loneliness and often leads to depression. I believe the cause of distrust lies in the corporate culture that stresses competition over cooperation.
Instead of protecting workers, the ministry endorses such a corporate culture by worsening labor legislation for the sake of smooth corporate operations. In this sense, the ministry has abandoned its crucial role and seems to be carrying out contradictory policies that prevent as well as promote depression.
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