Japan expert says mental health consideration needed in early spring as suicides rise March 23, 2025 (Mainichi Japan) Japanese version March, a time when people are busy preparing for the new fiscal year, is regarded as a time to show care for others. (Getty Images) TOKYO -- Periods after long holidays in Japan are known as times when people are susceptible to mental health issues, as evident in the terms "May blues" and "September blues." But the period that psychiatrists and other specialists are likely most wary of is early spring. While this is thought of as a time when people's spirits are easily uplifted, in Japan, March is the month with the highest number of suicides. April, May also record many suicides According to the government's white paper on suicide prevention, in 2023, March saw the most suicides, at 2,031, followed by 1,965 in April, 1,903 in May and 1,880 in September. December saw the fewest, at 1,561. Nearly every year over the past 10 years, March has seen the most suicides, with numbers remaining high into April and May. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare designates March as a month for strengthening suicide prevention measures, and is pressing ahead with efforts to combat this trend. Yoshinori Cho, director general of the National Institute of Mental Health at Japan's National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. (Photo provided by Yoshinori Cho) Yoshinori Cho, director general of the National Institute of Mental Health at Japan's National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, says that no definitive cause is known, but cited several factors contributing to this trend. Spring is a season when changes in physical condition, such as autonomic nervous system disturbances, can easily occur. Furthermore, in early spring, other people tend to be cheerful, which can cause people to sense a gap between themselves and others, potentially deepening their feelings of alienation and loneliness. Cho also notes the psychological effects of this period overlapping with the end of the fiscal year. Employees face increased overtime and find it difficult to take time off, while self-employed individuals are likely to face pressing situations such as impending payment deadlines with clients. The white paper states that 70% of people considering taking their own lives suffer from depression. When they are in a mentally unstable state, it is easy for real problems to become triggers, driving them to think, "I want to end this suffering within the fiscal year." Japan has worst suicide rates among G7 countries The number of suicides in Japan surged after the bursting of the economic bubble in the early 1990s, consistently exceeding 30
スーパーコピーバッグ 000 annually. However, with measures including the Basic Act on Suicide Prevention taking effect in 2006, the figure decreased to 20
偽物時計 169 in 2019. Provisional figures for 2024 put the number of suicides at 20,268. Even so, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and other sources, based on recent data, Japan has the highest proportion of deaths from suicides per 100,000 people among countries in the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations and ranks fourth on a world scale among OECD countries. In terms of suicide rates by religious zones, countries and regions considered to have no religion had the highest suicides rates by far. In contrast, Islamic and other regions, where suicide is explicitly condemned by religious teachings, have lower rates, but Buddhist regions, which hold beliefs in concepts like "reincarnation" and the "Pure Land" tend to have higher rates. So what is the difference between those who contemplate suicide and those who actually attempt it? Cho says that while the level of severity of the mental illness is a factor, there are also cultural influences surrounding individuals. "In Japan, there is a notion of praising people for fulfilling their responsibility through suicide. This may lower the threshold for suicide," he points out. No sovereign remedy When someone falls into a state of depression, anxiety or lack of motivation, their mental perspective narrows. When this continues, they think, "There is no choice but to die." There are problems that could be solved if people thought about them objectively
ブランドコピー靴 but they become unable to make calm decisions. That's why support from those around them is crucial. Cho says it is important to spread awareness that early spring is a time when many suicides occur. With the frenzy of activity as the new fiscal year approaches, families, friends and colleagues of people who are mentally weak lack the capacity to notice changes in those people. By sending out an SOS, people can prevent mental health issues from becoming more serious. This includes paying more attention to the people around you, and seeking medical assistance when you're feeling mentally unwell yourself. "There's no sovereign remedy for preventing suicide," Cho says. "That's why it's important to start doing the things we can
コピーブランド靴 like looking out for each other." (Japanese original by Tomofumi Inagaki, Digital News Group) Suicide prevention hotline in Japan with English support: TELL Japan (English): https://telljp.com/ Telephone hotline: 03-5774-0992 (Daily) Online chat: https://telljp.com/lifeline/tell-chat/ Counseling inquiries: 03-4550-1146 (Mon.-Fri.
スーパーコピー時計 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) A selection of emergency numbers with multilingual support is also provided at the bottom of their home page. *Operating hours for the telephone hotline and online chat depend on the day and are subject to change. Check the Facebook page linked below for up-to-date information: https://www.facebook.com/telljapan/ Font Size SML Print Go to The Mainichi Home Page Related Articles Editorial: As Japan child suicides surge to record high, probe over causes needed At least 486 died in apparent family suicide, murder-suicides in Japan from 2018-2022: data Suicide over economic, livelihood issues up 1.5 times in 2 yrs in Japan amid rising prices
