Taking the First Step Toward Mental Health: Introducing Activities in Our Internal Peer Group

At Dentsu Inc., employees who have personally experienced mental health challenges within the group, their supporters, and those studying psychology at universities or other institutions came together voluntarily. This led to the launch of the " Dentsu Mental Health Lab" in 2021.

In this series, members of the Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab share insights gained through lab activities about the mental health landscape and initiatives within our company.

Read the first article here:
Current Mental Health Trends Around Us and ERG Initiatives

This time, Nao Takemoto, a Lab member, shares how the Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab was established—reflecting on the catalyst and background—while highlighting key concepts and points we prioritize in its operation. We also delve deeper into the "Mental Health Café," an initiative run together with those who have experienced mental health challenges, and provide an overview of actual activities.

<TABLE of Contents>
▼Background and Origin of Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab

▼Lab Members: All Experienced Their Own or Others' Mental Health Challenges. What Do They Prioritize in Running the Lab?

▼"Mental Health Cafe": A Time for Each Participant to Reflect on Themselves

▼Role and Effectiveness of "Mental Health Cafe" from an Expert Perspective

▼The Future of Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab

&nbsp;

Background and Motivation Behind the Creation of Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab

Mental illnesses, including mood disorders such as depression, became one of the five major diseases in 2013, alongside cancer, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and diabetes. By 2023, the number of patients reached 6.03 million, surpassing diabetes (5.52 million).
Furthermore, the percentage of workplaces with employees who took consecutive leave for one month or more or resigned due to mental health issues has increased annually in proportion to company size. In 2023, this reached 74.1% for workplaces with 300 or more employees and 91.2% for those with 1,000 or more employees. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "Occupational Safety and Health Survey" 2023)

Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab began in early 2021, inspired by founder Haruka Watanabe's desire to "create a society where people can work authentically, even with limitations due to mental health issues."

Watanabe herself experienced a long-term leave due to depression. Thanks to the company's support system, she returned to work after approximately two years of recovery. However, she states that the hardship at the time wasn't solely due to the depression itself.
Alongside feelings of guilt toward those around her,

"Will I be labeled as 'unfit' because of my mental health issues?"
"Once you take a leave of absence, does your career path close?"

along with a sense of loneliness, feeling left behind by others. Although Dentsu Inc. had systems and consultation services for mental health support even then, he found it difficult to talk to those around him due to various negative emotions.

About six years after returning to work, Watanabe began working with like-minded colleagues to establish a lab. He believed that having "a place within the company to talk with others who've experienced similar struggles" and "opportunities to hear from people who continue working despite past difficulties" could offer hints for working in a balanced way that wasn't excessively painful, benefiting both themselves and those around them.

This approach, focused on building a community and sharing information from the perspective of those directly affected by mental health issues rather than relying solely on expert knowledge, is now defined as an ERG※1. At the time, however, it was still a rare initiative.

※1 ERG = Employee Resource Group, a voluntary community activity initiated by employees.

At times, Watanabe would personally reach out to like-minded individuals to invite them to join the initiative.

One such person was Susumu Namikawa (dentsu Japan Growth Officer / Executive Creative Director / Chief AI Master), who was then Managing Director of the CX Creative Center.

Namikawa himself had experienced mental health issues that led him to take a break from work. Furthermore, one of the lab's initial members knew Namikawa shared the same concerns as Watanabe, so he approached Namikawa personally to invite him to join the initiative.

Recalling that time, Watanabe said:

"I was very nervous about proposing this to Mr. Namikawa, but his first words were, 'Let's definitely do this! I've been wanting to do something like this.' I was incredibly happy, and knowing he was heading in the same direction gave me a sense of security and strength."

To sincerely tackle this sensitive field, Watanabe studied clinical psychology and counseling at a correspondence university and in seminars alongside his work, deepening his knowledge.

With extensive advice from the company's health promotion department and occupational health staff, as well as Dr. Tetsuji Sawa (MD, Clinical Psychologist) who mentored him at university and seminars, and Dr. Yusuke Suzuki (Psychosomatic Medicine Specialist) whom he met while studying psychology, the Mental Health Lab became an officially recognized company lab in April 2021.

All lab members have experienced mental health challenges themselves or among those around them. What do you keep in mind when running the lab?
&nbsp;

"I myself was trapped by prejudice against mental health issues and denied my own struggles," says Watanabe. Through the lab's activities, he aims first to create an atmosphere where mental health can be discussed openly. They undertake various initiatives, including seminars, training sessions, and hosting mental health cafes.

Now entering its fifth year, the Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab is currently run by about 10 members. While their reasons for joining and backgrounds vary, every member is someone who developed an interest in or awareness of mental health challenges due to their own or someone close to them experiencing mental health issues.

I, Takemoto, knew of the lab's existence through one of its seminars. However, I couldn't accept my own mental health struggles for a while, thinking, "I never imagined I'd be the one to struggle," and only confided in the absolute minimum number of people at work.

Then, at a Mental Health Cafe I finally decided to attend, I witnessed a participant who had objectively accepted that "unwellness isn't something to overcome, but something to live with." They were moving forward, using their experience as part of their journey. Seeing that person, I thought, "If only I could accept myself like that..." It felt like I saw a tiny glimmer of hope in continuing to work at the same company even after experiencing unwellness.

Furthermore, as someone who (unintentionally) experienced this struggle myself, I began to feel a shared sense of guilt toward colleagues and anxiety about being labeled. I also wanted to help others recover, thinking I wouldn't let this experience go to waste. That's why I knocked on the Lab's door.

Some members are involved in the lab out of interest in community building and motivation.

One member, drawing from their own experience, believes that "mental health challenges often accompany changes like joining a company, transfers, or secondments, and can happen to anyone." Based on this, they are now active as an industrial counselor specializing in the advertising industry. Another member expanded their focus to diversity through lab activities and began working at a subsidiary company for people with disabilities.

What all members share is an active approach to deepening their knowledge about mental health—both as a personal concern and as a societal issue—from their own perspectives. Beyond activities in their departments, they attend university, pursue qualifications like industrial counselor or career consultant certifications, and take various examinations.

Furthermore, regarding the lab's original goal of creating opportunities for mental wellness led by those directly involved, they consistently focus on the following points and keywords in their daily activities:

The "Mental Health Cafe": A Space for Each Participant to Reflect on Themselves

This lab hosts the "Mental Health Cafe" once every two months during lunch breaks. Held regularly online since 2022, it reached its 22nd session in July 2025.

The starting point was the idea that creating peer groups within our own group companies—sharing the same culture—where people with similar experiences could talk, would become a mental anchor for employees, helping them care for their well-being and practice mental fitness※2.

*2 Mental Fitness = Methods and habits for maintaining mental health and coping with stress

For its launch, we sought supervision from Dr. Tetsuji Sawa, MD, Clinical Psychologist. We also consulted with Ai Takada, who runs the "Lavender Cafe" for cancer survivors—a peer group already established within the group at that time—to solidify our approach.

Participation in the cafe requires advance registration each time and uses an online meeting system not visible to others sharing schedules in regular work.

While there is no set limit on the number of participants, around 10 people from various departments and companies gather each time to confront and share their own experiences and emotions.

For each session, in addition to Dr. Sawa's presence, we collaborate with specialists such as the company's official support services and establish ground rules, including confidentiality.

To ensure psychological safety and as a guideline for health levels enabling participation, we require participants to have their cameras on and show their faces. However, the process is voluntary, allowing anyone who wishes to speak to do so when they feel ready. Consequently, periods of "silence" often occur, where participants are deep in thought or hesitating whether to speak.

Since our daily work demands problem-solving thinking, some participants—especially newcomers—initially feel uneasy or uncomfortable with the silence. Lab members experienced this too.

However, the cafe is not a problem-solving meeting; it is "a time for each participant to face themselves." Professor Sawa also shared that "silence is valuable time," and we have come to see these silent moments as meaningful.

Through trial and error, the theme has settled on "What I Realized After Experiencing Mental Health Challenges." Yet, each session unfolds completely differently, shaped by the members present, seasonal trends, and current social news.

Each time, I truly feel that the causes and symptoms of distress, the feelings that followed, and the current struggles are all unique to each person and cannot be lumped together. Isn't this precisely why mental health is often perceived as "elusive" and "difficult to address" in our efficiency-driven society? That's why I feel the necessity for "time to engage individually with those directly affected," including myself, and I hope the Mental Health Cafe can be part of that time.

The Role and Effectiveness of the Mental Health Cafe from an Expert Perspective

Supervising Professor Sawa explains the Mental Health Cafe's initiatives and role as follows:

"Even as times advance and technology develops, mental health issues remain a crucial challenge for humanity. Moreover, reflecting on how to live has been a constant throughout human history.
However, far from finding answers, the issues only grow more complex.

When we pause to reflect, we realize that just as there is no universal method for everyone to become wealthy, in mental health too, it is vital for each individual to confront their own mind rather than seek a one-size-fits-all answer or solution.

The very existence of a space like the Mental Health Lab at Dentsu Inc. for nearly five years, accessible to employees, feels like a significant achievement.

It provides an opportunity within our corporate culture for individuals to pause, deepen their self-understanding, and clarify the nature of their challenges. In this sense, it is truly valuable."

As a Lab member involved in its operation, receiving such comments is a huge relief. We are also greatly encouraged by the many warm responses to Lab-hosted events, which have seen participation from approximately 1,000 employees to date.

Recently, dentsu Japan's "Mental Health Lab" was listed in the Health and Wellness section of the Dentsu Group's " Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report 2023 " and introduced as a representative example of our internal ERG activities.

It could be said that opportunities to consider mental health are gradually expanding beyond those directly affected, shifting perspectives on mental health and fostering an atmosphere where it's easier for each individual to think and talk about mental health.

In business, we often seek immediate, quantifiable results and impact. However, for the lab's activities, we will continue to prioritize creating a safe and secure space where everyone feels comfortable, and listening to each individual's voice.

The Future of Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab
&nbsp;

Lab members deepen their understanding of n=1 experiences not only through their own experiences but also by vicariously experiencing participants' struggles at the cafe. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, each member reflects on their own challenges and those within the mental health field, spurring mutual growth and improvement.

As a whole, the Lab holds occasional study sessions with expert professors. In our group chat, we exchange mental health-related information and plan initiatives almost daily.

To make a society where people can work authentically despite mental health constraints a reality—as soon as possible.
Amidst our hectic daily lives, the Dentsu Inc. Mental Health Lab continues to create spaces where we can pause and reflect.

This article introduced the origins of the Mental Health Lab and the "Mental Health Cafe," a space run by the Lab where individuals can confront their own mental health challenges.

In the final installment of this series, we will discuss how the Lab engages with those "other than" individuals experiencing mental health challenges—a particularly difficult challenge the Lab is tackling.