By the numbers: Suicide prevention week in Japan
A passenger walks out from a train thought the half-height platform screen doors at a subway station platform in Tokyo Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. Japan launched suicide prevention week on Thursday, part of a global World Health Organization effort marking Sept. 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day. AP
TOKYO — Japan launched suicide prevention week on Thursday, part of a global World Health Organization effort marking Sept. 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day.
Though the number of Japanese taking their lives has dipped in the past few years, Japan still has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
For the Sept. 10-16 campaign, local governments and legal associations have set up hotlines, support groups will hold seminars, and awareness posters have been put up at train stations, schools and other public facilities.
Here is a look at suicide in Japan based on an annual survey by the government:
25,427: Number of people who took their lives in 2014. It was below a benchmark level of 30,000 for the third year in a row, with the decrease attributed to increased prevention efforts.
2: Japan’s suicide rate is the second highest among the G-8 countries, after Russia and followed by France, the U.S., Canada, Germany, Britain and Italy.
12.3: Suicides per 100,000 women.
28.1: Suicides per 100,000 men.
32: Percent of the total number of suicides that were women.
1: Suicide is the top cause of death for people between 15 and 34 years old, followed by accidents and cancer.
131: The cumulative number of children who committed suicide on Sept. 1 over 42 years, the highest for any day of the year. It’s the day students typically return to school after summer break.
139: Number of suicides linked to the March, 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). Their crisis hotlines are available at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free), 0917-899-USAP (8727), 0966-351-4518, and 0908-639-2672. For more information, visit their website: (https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline)
Alternatively, you can contact Hopeline PH at the following numbers: 0917-5584673, 0918-8734673, 88044673. Additional resources are available at ngf-mindstrong.org, or connect with them on Facebook at Hopeline PH.
