SynthesisBMJ open2019
Mental well-being of international migrants to Japan: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Resettlement Journey: Understanding The Role of Social Connectedness on Well-being and Life Satisfaction among (Im)migrants and Refugees: A Systematic Review.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2025Pooled it
- Article
- Psychological Experiences and Support Needs of Volunteer Psychiatric Interpreters in Japan: A Qualitative Study.Cureus · 2025Article
- Help-seeking for depression among Vietnamese migrant workers in Japan and factors related to their intentions to seek help from a psychiatrist: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Exploring factors associated with deterioration in mental health among foreign technical intern trainees: a 6-month follow-up study.Industrial health · 2025Article
- Barriers and facilitators for healthcare access among immigrants in Japan: a mixed methods systematic review and meta-synthesis.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2025Article
- Different trends in suicide rates among foreign residents in Japan and Japanese citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.International journal for equity in health · 2024Article
- Psychological Distress and Associated Factors among Technical Intern Trainees in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- A prospective cohort study in depression and anxiety among Vietnamese migrants in Japan during the early to mid-COVID-19 pandemic.Tropical medicine and health · 2024Article
- A comparative psychological evaluation of a robotic avatar in Dubai and Japan.Frontiers in robotics and AI · 2024Article
- Enhancing healthcare access during disasters and emergencies: Recommendations from Nepali migrants in Japan.Dialogues in health · 2023Article
- Analysis of the Chagas disease situation in Japan: a cross sectional study and cost-effectiveness analysis of a Chagas disease screening program.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2023Article
- [Mental health of migrants under international legal texts and clinical practice: what is the role of culture?]The Pan African medical journal · 2023Article
- Do Migration and Acculturation Impact Somatization? A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- The Mental Health of Young Return Migrants with Ancestral Roots in Their Destination Country: A Cross-Sectional Study Focusing on the Ethnic Identities of Japanese-Brazilian High School Students Living in Japan.Journal of personalized medicine · 2022Article
- Competence in Daily Activities and Mental Well-Being among Technical Intern Trainees in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Associations between social support and access to healthcare among Filipino women living in Japan.Nagoya journal of medical science · 2021Article
- Factors associated with access to health care among foreign residents living in Aichi Prefecture, Japan: secondary data analysis.International journal for equity in health · 2021Article
- COVID-19: challenges faced by Nepalese migrants living in Japan.BMC public health · 2021Article
- The effect of perceived social support on psychological distress and life satisfaction among Nepalese migrants in Japan.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMigration is a stressful process of resettlement and acculturation that can often negatively impact the mental health of migrants. International migration to Japan, a country with dominant ethnic homogeneity, is growing steadily amid an ageing domestic population and severe labour shortages.
objectivesTo identify the contemporary barriers to, and facilitators of, mental well-being among the migrant population in Japan.
designSystematic review DATA SOURCES: PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Ichushi and J-Stage ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Research articles examining the mental well-being of international migrants in Japan that were published in English or Japanese between January 2000 and September 2018 were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Full texts of relevant articles were screened and references of the included studies were hand-searched for further admissible articles. Study characteristics, mental well-being facilitators and barriers, as well as policy recommendations were synthesised into categorical observations and were then thematically analysed.
resultsFifty-five studies (23 published in English), surveying a total of 8649 migrants, were identified. The most commonly studied migrant nationalities were Brazilian (36%), followed by Chinese (27%) and Filipino (8%). Thematic analysis of barriers to mental well-being among migrants chiefly identified 'language difficulties', 'being female' and 'lack of social support', whereas the primary facilitators were 'social networks' followed by 'cultural identity'. Policy recommendations for authorities generally described more migrant support services and cross-cultural awareness among the Japanese public.
conclusionAccess to social support networks of various types appears to be an influential factor affecting the mental well-being of international migrants in Japan. More research is necessary on how to promote such connections to foster a more inclusive and multicultural Japanese society amid rapid demographic change. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018108421.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.