A cross-sectional survey of material deprivation and suicide-related ideation among Vietnamese technical interns in Japan in 2021

Background Many technical intern trainees in Japan are economically impoverished because of the need to send money back to their home country, debts from the intermediaries that arranged their arrival in Japan, and reduced working hours because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition, there is concern that COVID-19 may cause mental instability in response to the life changes experienced by interns. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the experience of material deprivation and the relationship between the state of material deprivation and suicidal ideation among Vietnamese intern trainees in Japan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2021. Of 310 Vietnamese technical intern trainees who responded, we analyzed data from 200 individuals with no missing or abnormal values. The questionnaire obtained information about gender, age, length of residence in Japan, Japanese language proficiency, changes in income related to the COVID-19 pandemic, material deprivation status, and suicidal ideation. The ninth item of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to examine suicidal ideation. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between material deprivation items and suicidal ideation. Results Respondents’ mean age was 26.0 ± 5.1 years, and 62.0% (n = 124) were male. Regarding material deprivation items, food was reported in 82 (41.0%) cases, cellphone bills were reported in 49 (24.5%) cases, and medical expenses were reported in 34 (22.0%) cases. Forty-six (23.0%) respondents reported experiencing suicidal ideation, and the prevalence was associated with age (p = 0.031, odds ratio [OR] = 0.889, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.799–0.990), deprivation regarding food expenses (p = 0.003, OR = 3.897, 95% CI = 1.597–9.511), and deprivation regarding cellphone usage (p = 0.021, OR = 3.671, 95% CI = 1.217–11.075). Conclusions Vietnamese technical intern trainees in Japan experienced material deprivation in multiple ways, and exhibited a high prevalence of serious psychological problems. Factors contributing to suicidal ideation included age, experience of deprivation in relation to food expenses, and deprivation in relation to cellphone bills. Inability to pay cellphone bills may have increased isolation among Vietnamese trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic.