The One-Man IT Administrator Association, a general incorporated association, has partnered with Encourage, a counseling room run by licensed psychologists and clinical psychologists, to open a mental health hotline for one-man IT administrators or small IT administrators who are IT engineers in charge of the company’s in-house information systems at medium-sized and small companies.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s Occupational Safety and Health Survey, the information and communications industry ranks first among all industries in the percentage of workplaces where employees have taken leave or resigned due to mental health problems, with 32.4% of workplaces experiencing mental health problems, and 1.3% of employees taking leave. In particular, IT staff play an important role in the digitalization of companies, but are exposed to significant stress regardless of the size of the company. Even if they are judged to be highly stressed in a stress check, they are in a situation where they “are unable to accurately grasp their own condition.” In addition, small and medium-sized enterprises often have insufficient response after stress checks, have difficulty finding appropriate consultation points, and are often hesitant to seek consultation, so there is a tendency for prevention and early measures to be delayed despite the need for them.
That’s why we developed ASAP (As Up, Tomorrow, Up!), an original mental health support program by the Solo IT Systems Association. Using several types of psychological tests, we provide one-time psychotherapy using Collaborative Assessment (CA) methods. We support solo IT systems or small IT systems in small and medium-sized enterprises to “know yourself and change yourself.” The results of the counseling are developed into a specific action plan for the IT system. This is the first mental health support program in Japan specifically tailored to IT systems work in small and medium-sized enterprises.
こちらもお読みください： ジェネレーティブAIが臨床試験候補の選定を後押し
Counseling can be done online via Zoom, or at the public-private co-creation space NETSUGEN in the Gunma Prefectural Government Office in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture. Gunma Prefecture is ranked number one in the 2024 relocation preference rankings, and is blessed with a rich natural environment and food, as well as a well-developed medical environment in urban areas. In addition to counseling, we also offer a therapy program to refresh yourself in the nearby natural environment, aiming to improve the well-being of single and small IT staff at small and medium-sized enterprises.
Background to the establishment of the mental health hotline
Inadequate response after stress test
Since December 1, 2015, it has been mandatory for business establishments with 50 or more employees to conduct stress checks. Ten years have passed, but only 74.5% of employees with 50-99 have implemented stress checks. Furthermore, a bill to amend the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which would make it mandatory for all companies with fewer than 50 employees, was passed by a majority vote in the House of Representatives on May 8, 2025. It is scheduled to come into effect within three years of promulgation.
After conducting stress checks, companies must take appropriate measures for employees with high stress levels, but it is said that only about 20% of small and medium-sized enterprises have a follow-up system in place after stress checks due to a lack of safety and health personnel with specialized knowledge, the hollowing out of safety and health committees, a lack of specialized knowledge about mental health measures, budget and personnel constraints, etc. In today’s world of labor shortages, it is necessary to reduce employee stress and maximize performance.
Mental health problems on the rise
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s Industrial Safety Survey, the number of employees taking leave due to mental health issues at small and medium-sized enterprises is about half that of large enterprises, but the number of employees taking leave at small and medium-sized enterprises is on an 11% increase from 2021 to 2023. Meanwhile, the number of employees at large enterprises is on a downward trend. In addition, while IT-related engineers (information and communications industry) account for about 6% of the total industry, the number of employees with mental health issues is high at about 12%.
There are also concerns about the impact of increased job-changing opportunities for IT-related engineers, and it has been reported that about 87% of people feel stressed after changing jobs due to changes in the work environment and rebuilding relationships. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to respond to digitalization has increased even among small and medium-sized enterprises, and they have responded by hiring and transferring IT staff such as IT systems staff within the company, which has increased the stress of these staff.
Stress for IT staff
IT staff are required to have various skills, such as coordinating between management and users, and communicating in a way that is easy to understand for users, in addition to technical skills. In addition, it is said that nearly 80% of IT staff are busy with work, and may be selected as having high stress in the stress check system. Work-related signs include taking longer than usual to complete tasks and an increase in mistakes and setting errors. Mental signs include chronic fatigue, a feeling of being unable to recover from fatigue, decreased concentration, and increased distractibility. Behavioral signs include changes in sleep patterns and eating habits such as overeating and loss of appetite.
In such a situation, it is essential to optimize the workload, increase staff numbers if possible, and review team composition. It is also important to conduct regular stress checks and to have access to consultation services such as industrial physicians and specialists. However, in small and medium-sized enterprises, there are cases where employees do not take action proactively, due to the absence of health and safety committee members with specialized knowledge, and the reluctance of employees to let others in the company know about the issue. Furthermore, even if you want to seek advice, you may not know where to go, which can be a problem.
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