Abstract:

In line with the many unique facets of the Japanese culture and social environment, there are some unique mental health problems among the Japanese. One example is “student apathy”, a mental health condition that is not commonly discussed outside of Japan, particularly in Western countries like the US. This paper discusses how such problems, when experienced by students, are dealt with by the university health support system in Japan. To tangibly illustrate the strategies that are employed, specific aspects of the support provisions of a mental health center in one Japanese university are used as examples. In this center, students with mental health problems are categorized into three types. The first category comprises students who have primary complaints that are concrete in nature, and have remained comparatively healthy in their mental states. For these students, a solution-focused approach is used. The second category is of students who have a more vague primary complaint, and who are not as mentally healthy as those in the first category, but are not yet at the level that requires clinical care. Students suffering from student apathy are included in this group. For these students, a combination of the psychoanalytic approach and the solution-focused approach is used. The third category is of students who have the most serious mental health problems: for many, the severity of their problem is such that they cannot visit the health support center by themselves. For students who are placed in this category, a support network approach is used, as well as medical support from a doctor when required. By categorizing and clarifying appropriate strategies, effective support can be put into practice with the use of the limited human resources available within the university's mental support center.