Factors influencing the mental well‐being of professional guardians in Japan: The role of stress and stigma

TL;DR

This study finds that professional guardians in Japan face high levels of poor mental well-being due to stress and stigma, suggesting a need for better support systems.

Contribution

The study identifies psychological stress and community stigma as key factors affecting mental well-being among professional guardians in Japan.

Findings

42.3% of professional guardians reported poor mental well-being, much higher than the general population.

Frequent psychological stress and community stigma were independently linked to poor mental well-being.

Low job satisfaction, loneliness, and burnout were also significant contributing factors.

Abstract

As Japan increasingly relies on professional adult guardians, understanding their challenges and identifying support measures for their mental well‐being is essential. This study explores factors influencing the mental well‐being of professional guardians.

Judicial scriveners, who handle 35.9% of all guardianships, represent the largest group of professional guardians, most of whom are affiliated with the Adult Guardianship Center Legal Support. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among members of the Tokyo Branch. Of the 1627 members contacted, 227 (14.0%) responded between October 2 and 23, 2024.

The prevalence of poor mental well‐being (World Health Organization‐Five Well‐Being Index Japanese version <13) among professional guardians was 42.3%. Univariate analysis identified factors significantly associated with poor mental well‐being, including low satisfaction, frequent psychological stress, inadequate job support, perceived poor physical health, loneliness, burnout, and community stigma. Multivariate analysis confirmed that frequent psychological stress (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08–0.37, p = 0.002) and strong community stigma (95% CI: −0.03 to 0.00, p = 0.043) were independently associated with poor mental well‐being.

This study highlights significant challenges to the mental well‐being of professional guardians in Japan, particularly due to psychological stress and community stigma. Given that 42.3% of participants reported poor mental well‐being, a rate significantly higher than the general population, there is an urgent need for targeted support measures, such as stress‐management programs and peer support networks.

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