How Japan's Increase in Suicide Rates Warns of the Effects of Covid on Mental Health
Geneviève Nolet, Online Staff Writer
March 23, 2021
Image Credit: Nils Werner / Flickr
Trigger Warning: This article discusses physical and sexual abuse, depression and suicide, and may be upsetting for some readers. The Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline can be reached 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566. For those in other countries, visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for a list of suicide prevention resources.
In 2020, six times more people died of suicide than of coronavirus in Japan. In October alone, 2,153 suicides were recorded; more lives lost than the total coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the country at that time, which was 2,087. The number of suicides recorded that month also represents an increase of 83% in female suicide and of 22% in male suicide compared to October of the previous year. These numbers provide insight on the psychological impacts of the pandemic and help identify those that are most vulnerable.
Japan’s suicide rates had been steadily decreasing for the past decade - despite being one of the highest suicide rates in the world. In Japan, suicide remains the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 39. Despite the improvement in recent years, the number of suicide-related deaths spiked again starting in July 2020, upon the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the past year, 20,919 people have died from suicide in Japan; 3.7% more than in 2019. In comparison, Japan recorded 3,460 deaths due to coronavirus in 2020.
Across the globe, the pandemic has brought about major stressors such as loss of employment, changes in living situations, and decreased social interactions. For people suffering domestic physical or sexual abuse, the situation has been aggravated by the mandate to stay at home and the lack of places available to escape their tormentors. Those facing unemployment often fear poverty due to inadequate financial subsidies. On top of that, people infected with the coronavirus can feel guilty for transmitting the disease to their loved ones. The pandemic likely has consequences on mental health that have not yet been studied.
Meanwhile, isolation has become a major issue as in-person contacts have been discouraged. For those living alone, this signifies reduced interactions with friends, family and support networks. According to Wataru Nishida, a psychologist from Temple University in Tokyo, “isolation is the number one precursor for depression and suicide.” It is then no surprise that the changes brought about by the pandemic have precipitated anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and hopelessness in many - especially now that it has been nearly a year and the end is not yet in sight.
While Japanese men are more likely to take their own lives, the pandemic has disproportionately affected the number of women committing suicide. In 2020, women’s suicide in Japan increased by a staggering 15% compared to the previous year. Professor Michiko Ueda, an expert on suicide from Waseda University, points out that the sectors most affected by the pandemic tend to be predominantly staffed by women, such as the retail, tourism, and food industries. Many Japanese women have opted for nontraditional lifestyles in recent years; they have chosen not to get married and to instead live alone. The impacts of job loss are aggravated for these women as they have to find alternative ways to support themselves financially and often face isolation due to their living situations. Meanwhile, other women have struggled with increased household responsibilities (including child care) and as mentioned previously, domestic violence. As such, it is no surprise that the suicide rates reflect the disproportional impact of the pandemic on women.
The impacts of the pandemic on child suicide have been even more drastic. An increase of 49% in child suicide was recorded during the second wave of the pandemic, during which schools were closed throughout the country. Similarly, the number of Japanese high school girls who took their own lives doubled in 2020, compared to the previous year.
While Japan has seen success in decreasing suicide rates over the past decade, in part due to tackling overwork and introducing online counselling, the country continues to struggle with the cultural stigmatization of mental health issues, and an inadequate mental healthcare system short of psychiatrists and lacking regulation regarding who can be considered a counsellor.
Japan’s suicide rates are particularly concerning as the country did not implement lockdowns and the impact of the pandemic have been relatively minimal compared to other countries. This leaves people such as Professor Ueda wondering about the impact of the pandemic in countries where lockdown rules have been much stricter and where the virus has affected more people.
Other countries should consider Japan’s drastic increase in suicide rates a warning. While Japan discloses its suicide data on a monthly basis, other countries tend to do so much less often. Therefore, Japan offers insight on the psychological impacts of the pandemic in a way that other countries cannot, although it is important remember that Japan’s elevated suicide rates are also influenced by cultural aspects beyond the impact of COVID-19.
Governments should seriously consider the impacts of the pandemic on mental health and make suicide prevention a central focus point when implementing guidelines. They should avoid resorting to lockdown measures as much as possible and provide some level of leniency for people living on their own. Financial assistance should be made available for people affected by changes in employment, while mental health resources, sexual assault and domestic violence centres and suicide prevention hotlines should be further funded and advertised to address the current mental health crisis.