FEATURE: Japan's disaster recovery workers face growing mental health concerns

AKITA, Japan - They arrive to help rebuild homes, restore services and support devastated communities. But experts say local government employees dispatched to disaster-hit areas often face severe psychological strain themselves.

Mental health support for dispatched staff is an urgent issue in Japan, where cases of depression and suicide have been reported in past large-scale disaster responses, and where some prefectures still have no dedicated measures in place.