The Concept, Status Quo and Forensic Pathology of Karoshi.
10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2019.04.015
- Author:
Bo Fan YANG
1
;
Jing Zhuo SHI
1
;
Qian Jing LI
1
;
Liang Ci XIA
1
;
Fu ZHANG
2
;
Yan Geng YU
2
;
Ning XIAO
1
;
Dong Ri LI
1
Author Information
1. School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
2. Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department, Guangzhou 510050, China.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
forensic pathology;
cause of death;
cardiovascular disease;
agricultural workers’ diseases;
Karoshi;
review
- MeSH:
Adult;
China;
Death, Sudden/etiology*;
Fatigue/epidemiology*;
Forensic Pathology;
Humans;
Middle Aged;
Occupational Stress/epidemiology*;
Risk Factors
- From:
Journal of Forensic Medicine
2019;35(4):455-458
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
"Karoshi" originates from Japan's economic take-off period in the 1960s and 1970s. It is generally believed that overwork lead to the accumulation of fatigue, which triggers the outbreak of potential diseases, and results in sudden death. Karoshi causes great harm to both the community and families because it occurs primarily in 30 to 60 year old young adults. Japan put Karoshi into the category of industrial injury for the first time in 2001 and started to undertake a series of studies in the sociological and pathological fields. However, there is a tremendous gap in the forensic pathological diagnosis domain. In China, research on Karoshi started from the 1990s and is closely related to the reform and opening up policy as well as economic development. According to the incomplete statistics, 600 thousand people die from overwork each year in China, the highest in the world. Karoshi has become one of the most serious social problems in China at the present stage, thus a systematic study in the sociology and forensic pathology fields is urgently required. This paper summarizes the past and present status of Karoshi, and puts forward the problems that need attention during the judicial expertise of Karoshi from forensic pathology perspective.
