Although an increasing number of studies on psychological safety at workplaces has been conducted in both western and eastern countries, there are few empirically validated measures in Japan. Our purpose was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Psychological Safety Scale. Japanese workers were invited to participate in online surveys at baseline and at one-month follow-up (N=320).The Psychological Safety Scale was translated into Japanese according to international guidelines. Social support at workplace, work engagement, organization-based selfesteem, organizational justice, and job satisfaction were measured. Cronbach's alphas and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) were examined for reliability, and its validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis and correlational analyses. The results of the survey showed that respondents were 287 at baseline and 236 at followup. Cronbach's alphas of the Psychological Safety Scale were 0.91 (baseline) and 0.88 (follow-up), and ICC was 0.87. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a marginally acceptable fit. Overall, the Japanese Psychological Safety Scale had moderate to strong correlations with other scales. In conclusion, the Japanese version of the Psychological Safety Scale had acceptable levels of reliability and validity, and may be applicable for use in Japanese workers.

This study investigated the correlation between objective and subjective working hours (OWH and SWH, respectively) and their relation to the workers' health. The study included 6,806 workers of a Japanese company (response rate = 86.6%). OWH were collected as the monthly data during fiscal year 2017 from the company record. SWH were self-reported as the weekly data during the past month in November 2017. Both OWH and SWH corresponded to the same period of one month (October 2017). Additionally, the data for the annual health checkup in fiscal year 2017 and self-reported mental health in November 2017 were collected. The results indicated that the longer OWH was related to more underestimation of SWH. The analyses of covariance adjusted for the selected variables showed that irrespective of OWH or SWH, significant relationships were found for stress responses but not for body mass index, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triglyceride. However, significant relationships with only OWH were noted for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and positive work-related state of mind. The present findings show that SWH should be used carefully when assessing the health effects of long working hours.

Purpose: To report 2 cases of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease accompanied by remarkable choroidal folds in the acute stage. The early indicator of recurrence in these 2 cases was the identification of choroidal folds by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Case Reports: A 68-year-old woman (Case 1) presented with visual loss in both eyes. Funduscopic examination revealed optic disc swelling and serous retinal detachment in both eyes. SD-OCT revealed remarkable choroidal folds and serous retinal detachment. After the initiation of systemic steroid treatment, choroidal folds disappeared rapidly and the amount of serous retinal detachment reduced remarkably. Choroidal folds observed on SD-OCT were the early indicators of recurrence prior to the emergence of serous retinal detachment. A 62-year-old woman (Case 2) presented with bilateral blurred vision and metamorphopsia. SD-OCT showed remarkable choroidal folds and serous retinal detachment in both eyes. After the initiation of systemic steroid treatment, choroidal folds and serous retinal detachment disappeared. At the time of recurrence, choroidal folds were observed by OCT. Discussion: During monitoring of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease treatment, choroidal folds could be an early sign of recurrence. When choroidal folds are observed and recognized as an early indicator of recurrence, a prompt increase in steroids can improve the patients’ prognosis. Finally, both cases presented here had relatively short axial lengths, and we speculate that a shortened axial length may be a cause of choroidal folds in the acute stage of the disease.

Purpose We aimed to examine the prospective associations of monthly working hours measured in a month, the 6-month averaged hours, and the frequency of long working hours (≥ 205 h/month) during the past 6 months with health indicators. Methods This study included 6,806 Japanese company workers (response rate = 86.6%). Data on the workers’ monthly attendance during the second half of fiscal year 2016 and annual health checkups in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 were collected. We evaluated the association of the above three types of monthly working hours with subsequent health checkup data in fiscal year 2017. We adjusted for the corresponding data in fiscal year 2016. Results Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between monthly working hours and workers’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and triglyceride levels. However, the associations were not consistent between months. The average monthly working hours were significantly associated with higher LDL levels for the 220–240 h/mo group (OR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.07–2.08) and lower triglyceride levels for the < 140 h/mo group (OR: 0.15, 95%CI: 0.03–0.77), compared to the 140–180 h/mo group. The frequency of long working hours was significantly associated with higher LDL levels. Conclusions Working hours over several months produced various associations with health indicators compared to those measured in a single month. Our present data suggest that the effects of average or frequency of long working hours during the past 6 months are likely to appear in LDL levels.

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