Abstract
BackgroundA growing body of evidence has demonstrated the associations between social capital and health. In residential or geographical areas, social capital has attracted attention for its protective effects against suicide. However, to this date, the relationship between social capital and suicidal ideation is not fully elaborated in the occupational setting. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan.MethodsA cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted in February/March 2017 via an anonymous self-administered questionnaire distributed to workers in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Binomial logistic regressions were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for suicidal ideation in the past year, controlling for age group, marital status, educational attainment, and annual household income. The results were shown stratified by sex and occupation.ResultsIn total, 7255 of 19,481 workers responded, out of which we could analyze 6325 responses (4030 men, 2295 women). The prevalence of suicidal ideation in the past year was 5.9% for men and 7.8% for women. Low workplace social capital was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation both for men (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.72–3.83) and for women (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.15–2.66), compared with high workplace social capital after controlling for socioeconomic factors.ConclusionHigher workplace social capital was associated with a reduced risk of suicidal ideation in the past year. Promoting workplace social capital could contribute to preventing suicide among employees in Japan.
Highlights
A growing body of evidence has demonstrated the associations between social capital and health
Participants who did not respond to the questions about suicidal ideation were excluded (n = 758), as were participants older than 65 years of age (n = 53), because 65 years is the normal retirement age in Japan
This study aimed to evaluate the association between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among workers in Japan
Summary
A growing body of evidence has demonstrated the associations between social capital and health. In residential or geographical areas, social capital has attracted attention for its protective effects against suicide. To this date, the relationship between social capital and suicidal ideation is not fully elaborated in the occupational setting. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan. Japan is infamous for karo-shi, a term which refers to a worker’s sudden death as a result of overwork or workrelated exhaustion [4]. Karo-shi is administratively defined as a worker’s sudden death from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease or suicide because of mental illness (e.g., depression). Suicide among workers leads to marked social and economic losses and remains a serious occupational and public health concern
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