First increase in suicides in the last 11 years in Japan, with cases continuing to affect more women and younger people, in a context of increasing uncertainty, determined by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to preliminary data from the National Police Agency (NPA), in the whole of 2020 the number of people who have taken their own lives has increased by 3.7% to 20,919: this is the first increase since 2009, when the economy was overwhelmed by the financial crisis, causing a high number of cases of bankruptcy and a significant loss of jobs. In detail, the most recent numbers show a drop in suicides of 1% among men – who still represent by far the highest sample at 13,943, while there is a surge of 14.5% among women, at 6,976, the highest figure in the last 5 years. Once again, it is job insecurity, greater burdens in child care, and inconveniences caused by forced family cohabitation that, in times of pandemic, experts say, increase the stress level for women to a greater extent than for men. Also of concern is the figure among students, with 440 cases, a record level that exceeds the previous high in 2009. The Ministry of Welfare and Health has described the situation as ‘worrying to say the least’, explaining how the health emergency has in all likelihood caused a number of as yet unknown complexities and obstacles that the government aims to analyze through consultation services and private assistance, as well as economic support to a wider segment of the population. The NPA has disclosed that it will release the final report in March, contributing to a more extensive analysis of the phenomenon.
by Basit Abbasi – CCTV