Child suicides at record high during pandemic in Japan

Local media say suicide rates among japanese children are the highest they have ever been

Ju-Min Park
Thursday 14 October 2021 12:06 BST
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(Getty Images)

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Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country’s education ministry.

As the Covid-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry’s survey.

The number is up by nearly 100 from last year, the highest since record-keeping began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday.

Suicide has a long history in Japan as a way of avoiding perceived shame or dishonour, and its suicide rate has long topped the Group of Seven nations, but a national effort brought numbers down by roughly 40 per cent over 15 years, including 10 straight years of decline from 2009.

Amid the pandemic, suicides increased in 2020 after a decade of declines, with the number of women committing suicide surging amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although fewer men took their own lives.

The education ministry said a record high of more than 196,127 schoolchildren were absent for 30 days or more, media reported.

The results showed that changes in school and household environments due to the pandemic have had a huge impact on children’s behaviour, NHK quoted an education ministry official as saying.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, TheSamaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

Reuters

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