Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40072974›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Remote work and long-term sickness absence due to mental disorder trends among Japanese workers pre/post COVID-19.

Yasuhiko Deguchi, Shinichi Iwasaki, Yuki Uesaka, Yutaro Okawa, Shohei Okura, Kunio Maekubo, Ayaka Matsunaga, Yuki Kageyama, Koki Inoue

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Patients seeking occupational health advice before and after COVID-19.Occupational medicine (Oxford, England) · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yasuhiko DeguchiDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5320-6569
Shinichi IwasakiDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1415-8701
Yuki UesakaDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Yutaro OkawaDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Shohei OkuraDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Kunio MaekuboDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Ayaka MatsunagaDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Yuki KageyamaDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Koki InoueDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThe aim of this study was to ascertain whether there has been an increase in the number of workers with long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders (LTSA-MD) and determine the impact of remote work on new LTSA-MD cases.

methodsA web-based questionnaire was sent to 2,552 company offices with 150 or more workers in Osaka Prefecture. Data were obtained on the number of workers with LTSA-MD between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020 (fiscal year 2019) and between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 (fiscal year 2020), along with their MD diagnoses (adjustment disorder [AD], depressive disorder [DEP], etc.). The difference in the number of new LTSA-MD, LTSA-AD, and LTSA-DEP cases between the fiscal years was evaluated, as well as the number of LTSA-MD cases per 100 employees. An independent t-test was used to compare the groups.

resultsDEP was the most prevalent condition, followed by AD. The number of workers with LTSA-MD nominally decreased from fiscal 2019 to fiscal year 2020, with no significant difference. There were no significant differences between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2019 regarding LTSA-MD, LTSA-AD, and LTSA-DEP in offices with and without a remote work model.

conclusionsThe number of non-public workers with LTSA-MD did not increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no significant difference observed between offices with and without a remote work model. This provides preliminary evidence of a potential protective effect of remote work against LTSA-DEP.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mental DisordersSick LeaveTeleworkingAdultEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansJapanMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2Surveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID40072974
PMCPMC11902284

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.