TOKYO, July 30 (UPI) -- Japan's future empress has been diagnosed with a stress-related mental disorder possibly linked to pressure to bear an heir to the throne, the BBC reports.
The Imperial Household Agency announced that Crown Princess Masako suffers from what they called adjustment disorder. In a statement, officials said her condition is "caused by her special status as a crown princess, problems relating to her pregnancy and miscarriage, and her busy life, in which she has difficulties drawing a line between the public and the private."
Princess Masako has kept out of the public eye for the past year. Crown Prince Naruhito recently blamed the Imperial Household for restricting his wife's life too much. Princess Masako before her marriage was a diplomat, and her marriage to the prince was a sign of change in Japan's royal family.
The royal couple have a daughter who cannot succeed to the throne. The princess suffered a miscarriage in 1999. Doctors say that her condition is a reaction to a specific event and is treatable with rest and medication.
