Work and Family Conflicts, Depression, and "Ikigai": A Mediation Analysis in a Cross-cultural Study Between Japanese and Egyptian Civil Workers

Background: Total work-family conflicts (TWFCs) could associate with mental health, and having ikigai (a purpose of life) may mediate this association. Methods: In a cross-cultural study of 4,792 Japanese Aichi Workers ' Cohort study participants and 3,109 Egyptian civil workers, the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) questionnaire measured TWFCs and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) 11-item scale measured depression. We used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of having depression and a high-ikigai across levels of TWFCs (low, moderate, and high), and the PROCESS macro of Hayes to test the mediation effect. Results: The prevalence of high TWFCs, depression, and having a high ikigai were 17.9%, 39.4%, and 70.1% in Japanese women, 10.5%, 26.8%, and 70.1% in Japanese men, 23.7%, 58.2%, and 24.7% in Egyptian women, and 19.1%, 38.9%, and 36.9% in Egyptian men, respectively. Compared with participants with low TWFCs, the multivariable ORs of depression in Japanese women and men with high TWFCs were 4.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.99-5.65) and 5.42 (95% CI, 4.18-7.02), and those in Egyptian women and men were 4.43 (95% CI, 3.30-5.95) and 4.79 (95% CI, 3.53-6.48), respectively. The respective ORs of having a high-ikigai were 0.46 (95% CI, 0.33-0.64) and 0.40 (95% CI, 0.31-0.52) in Japanese women and men and were 0.34 (95% CI, 0.24-0.48) and 0.28 (95% CI, 0.20-0.39) in Egyptian women and men. No interaction between TWFCs and country was observed for the associations with depression or ikigai. Ikigai mediated (up to 18%) the associations between the TWFCs and depression, especially in Egyptian civil workers. Conclusion: TWFCs were associated with depression, and having low ikigai mediated these associations in Japanese and Egyptian civil workers.