title: Development of a work improvement checklist for occupational mental health focused on requests from workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop tools offering definite orientation for managers and employees to support their work improvement through occupational mental health. This research was a part of the Mental Health Improvement & Reinforcement Study (MIR study), conducted from October 2004 to March 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a trial version named the Kaizen Check List (KCL) by referring to problem solving methods for quality management. Then we improved it for a formal version named MIR Research of Recognition (MIRROR). A feedback form named MIR Action Guidance (MIRAGe) was also developed. We analyzed data from 1,953 respondents at five manufacturing enterprises in Japan using MIRROR and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) to determine whether or not the workers requesting work improvement had more stress than other workers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The KCL had 47 items, which indicated desirable working conditions for mental health at work, and four answer categories. MIRROR has 45 selected items and improved answer categories. MIRAGe displays the results of MIRROR and step-by-step guidance for work improvement. Respondents with request had significantly higher scores in stressor and lower scores in buffer factors compared with respondents without request in many items of MIRROR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A combinational use of MIRROR and stress scales is useful for finding worksites with high risk factors for mental health and for directing focus on work improvement at these worksites according to workers' requests.
authors: Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan. t-hiro@umin.net
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Tahara
authors: Tatsuji
authors: T
authors: Yamada
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Nagafuchi
authors: Chie
authors: C
authors: Shirakawa
authors: Kiyomi
authors: K
authors: Suzuki
authors: Kosuke
authors: K
authors: Mafune
authors: Shinya
authors: S
authors: Kubota
authors: Hisanori
authors: H
authors: Hiro
authors: Norio
authors: N
authors: Mishima
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Nagata
mesh_terms: D057189:Checklist; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008603:Mental Health; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000145:classification; D016272:Occupational Health; D016730:Program Development; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis