[Role of occupational physician for workers' mental health]

In this paper, I briefly review the history of occupational mental health as well as administrative trends in Japan, and summarized how occupational physicians should get involved in these activities. As for mental health in the workplace, occupational physicians are required to participate in a large number of wide-ranging activities, including the management of mental illness. On the other hand, approving the occupational physician who is in charge of mental health affairs only has some important ramifications which cannot be disregarded. Careful consideration should be given to this matter.