Approximately 80% of managers feel an increase in mental health issues. However, even with consultation services in place, only 23.6% are "well utilized."

Mediplat Inc. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Yuma Asai) conducted a "Survey on the Actual State of Employee Mental Health Consultation Systems" targeting 110 managers involved in HR and labor affairs at companies with 50 or more employees that have established mental health consultation services, to clarify the gap between "establishment" and "functionality." The results revealed that even when consultation services are available, barriers such as anonymity and consultation hours hinder employee utilization.

Survey Results Summary

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Approximately 80% of managers feel an increase in mental health issues

When asked if they felt that mental health issues (depression, adjustment disorder, anxiety symptoms, etc.) among their company's employees had increased in recent years, 39.1% responded "strongly agree" and 40.0% responded "somewhat agree," totaling 79.1% who felt an increase. From a frontline perspective, addressing mental health issues is no longer a problem for only a few employees.

Do you feel that mental health issues (depression, adjustment disorder, anxiety symptoms, etc.) among your company's employees have increased in recent years?

Most common consultation service is "Consultation route to supervisors/managers" (47.3%)

When asked about the consultation services currently available to employees (multiple answers allowed), "Consultation route to supervisors/managers" was the most common at 47.3%, followed by "Consultation service for internal HR/labor affairs staff" at 40.0%. In many companies, the entry point for consultation is entrusted to specific "people," suggesting a structure where ease of consultation depends on the relationship with the other party.

Please tell us about the consultation services currently available to employees. (Multiple answers allowed)

75.5% of companies had employees with issues in the past year

When asked if there were employees in the past year who had or appeared to have mental health issues (such as taking leave, long-term absence, decreased performance, or self-consultation), 35.5% responded "several employees" and 40.0% responded "about one employee." In fact, in three out of four companies (75.5%), these issues are not just a "possible risk" but a "current reality."

In the past year, were there employees in your company who had or appeared to have mental health issues (such as taking leave, long-term absence, decreased performance, or self-consultation)?

Only 23.6% of managers feel the services are "well utilized."

So, is the consultation system functioning? When asked if they thought the current system was sufficiently utilized by employees, only 23.6% felt it was "well utilized," while 56.4% felt it was "utilized by some employees." There is still a significant gap between providing a consultation service and it actually being used.

Do you think the current system is sufficiently utilized by employees?

Approximately 30% responded "not an easy system to use."

When asked if they thought the current consultation system was an easy system for employees to use, 21.8% responded "strongly agree" and 43.6% responded "somewhat agree," with 65.4% in agreement. On the other hand, about 30% of managers felt there were issues with their company's system, and the on-the-ground feedback is far from uniform.

Do you think the current consultation system is an easy system for employees to use?

The biggest reason for difficulty in use is "lack of anonymity" (32.3%)

When asked for the reasons (multiple answers allowed) why they felt the system was not easy to use, the top responses were "anonymity is not guaranteed, and there is concern that consultation content will be shared with others" (32.3%) and "employees feel psychological burden from face-to-face consultations" (29.0%). It is clear that the hesitation to consult is not due to the absence of a system, but rather the psychological hurdles of employees who "do not want to be known" or find "face-to-face difficult."

Please tell us the reasons why you feel the system is not easy to use. (Multiple answers allowed)

Top factors to emphasize are "24-hour availability" and "multiple specialist doctors" (40.9% each)

When asked about the factors to emphasize (multiple answers allowed) for a system that allows employees to easily consult about mental health, "availability 24 hours a day" was 40.9%, "consultation with doctors from multiple specialties, including psychiatry" was 40.9%, and "easy consultation via chat" was 39.1%. Managers are looking for a service that connects them directly to specialists, regardless of time, place, or person. These are all conditions that are difficult to meet with traditional face-to-face or supervisor-mediated consultation services.

Please tell us the factors to emphasize for a system that allows employees to easily consult about mental health. (Multiple answers allowed)

78.2% responded that "anonymous 24-hour online consultation with a doctor" is effective.

When asked if an "anonymous 24-hour online consultation service with a doctor, equipped with these conditions" is effective for early detection and early intervention of mental health issues, 29.1% responded "strongly agree" and 49.1% responded "somewhat agree," totaling 78.2% who found it effective.

Do you think an "anonymous 24-hour online consultation service with a doctor" is effective for early detection and early intervention of mental health issues? (Multiple answers allowed)

The most common reason for effectiveness is "availability outside of business hours and late at night" (57.0%)

When asked for the reasons (multiple answers allowed) by those who responded it was effective, the most common reason was "availability outside of business hours and late at night, expanding consultation opportunities" (57.0%), followed by "employees can consult with peace of mind without being known by others" (45.3%), and "can receive professional judgment and advice from a doctor" (44.2%). This suggests that the reversal of the limitations of traditional services, namely time, anonymity, and expertise, is being appreciated.

Do you think an "anonymous 24-hour online consultation service with a doctor" is effective for early detection and early intervention of mental health issues?

Conclusion

This survey found that 79.1% of managers feel an increase in mental health issues, and 75.5% of companies had employees with issues in the past year. However, only 23.6% of managers feel that the current consultation system is "well utilized." There remains a significant gap between establishing a consultation service and it being used by employees. The background to this is the structure that relies on face-to-face and supervisor-mediated consultations, with "supervisors/managers" (47.3%) being the most common consultation route. Reasons for difficulty in use also included "lack of anonymity" (32.3%) and "psychological burden of face-to-face consultations" (29.0%), indicating that the psychological hurdles of employees are what deter consultations.

Notably, the conditions for the desired consultation service by managers were clearly revealed. Factors such as "24-hour availability," "multiple specialist doctors," and "chat" (all around 40%) are difficult to meet with traditional services, and 78.2% responded that an "anonymous 24-hour online consultation service with a doctor" equipped with these features is effective. The challenge for future consultation systems is to move from the stage of "establishing" a service to the stage of it being "used" by employees, by creating systems that meet specific conditions such as anonymity, consultation hours, and expertise, and that complement existing structures.

Commentary

Shuhei Ozasawa (Manager, Marketing Department, Industrial Health Support Division, Mediplat)

What we take most seriously from this survey is that even among companies that have established consultation services, only 23.6% of managers feel they are well utilized. We have long been involved in the field of industrial health, and there is still a significant distance between providing a consultation service and employees being able to truly rely on it. This distance is created by "difficulty in use" that precedes the system itself, such as anxiety about anonymity, the burden of face-to-face interaction, and time constraints for consultation.

We believe that the factors sought by managers, such as "24-hour availability," "multiple specialist doctors," and "chat," being ranked highly, clearly indicate the direction for solutions. The online medical consultation service "first call" provides a system where employees can consult with doctors from all 12 specialties, including psychiatry, via chat 24 hours a day anonymously, meeting the conditions that the field truly needs. We hope this survey will serve as an opportunity for companies to review their consultation systems, moving beyond simply "establishing" a service to creating a system that every employee can use with peace of mind.

Survey Overview

Survey Title: Survey on the Actual State of Employee Mental Health Consultation Systems

Survey Method: Internet survey conducted by IDEATECH's research data marketing service "Lisapy®︎"

Survey Period: June 3, 2026 (Wed) - June 4, 2026 (Thu)

Valid Responses: 110 managers involved in HR and labor affairs at companies with 50 or more employees that have established mental health consultation services.

*Proportions are rounded to the second decimal place, so the total may not always be 100%.

▼ Download the full report here:

https://service.firstcall.md/wp24

About the cloud-based health management service "first call"

"first call" provides the following services to solve the industrial health challenges faced by corporate HR and labor affairs managers:

1 Online Medical Consultation

A service that allows users to consult with doctors via chat and video calls about concerns and worries regarding their own health and that of their families in daily life, anytime and anywhere. Specialists answer questions (anonymously) in 12 fields, including general internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry. Medical consultations can be accessed through a dedicated employee app or web version.

2 On-site and Online Industrial Physician Services

A service that handles industrial physician duties, from regular on-site visits to online consultations. By allowing industrial physician consultations via video calls, it enables early consultations with employees in domestic and overseas branches whose schedules make consultations difficult, and also reduces the workload of HR staff due to appointment scheduling.

3 Stress Check

A service that easily visualizes employee stress levels and stress conditions by department or team via the web. The entire process, from mass invitations to checking participation status, can be managed within the system. When introduced together with "On-site and Online Industrial Physician Services," it allows for integrated management of post-stress check industrial physician consultations online.

Company Profile

Company Name: Mediplat Inc.

Established: November 25, 2015

CEO: Yuma Asai

Business Activities: Operation of the cloud-based health management service "first call"

Location: 15F Higashi Gekijo Bldg., 4-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045

TEL: 03-4405-4904

URL: https://service.firstcall.md/service/about