Japan appoints Minister for Loneliness after rise in suicide rates

Japan recently appointed a Minister for Loneliness following a rise in the number of suicides and the impact of the coronavirus on individuals.

The Independent reports that the country is known to have high levels of social isolation – partly attributed to its culture of working long hours – which has also been amplified by the pandemic.

This is also in particular due to people living alone. And so, in response to calls for action over social isolation and rising suicide rates, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appointed minister Tetsushi Sakamoto to the newly created role of minister for loneliness earlier in February, the Japan Times reported.

Japan suicide rate

According to the National Police Agency, 20 919 people in Japan died by suicide in 2020 – an increase of 750 deaths compared to 2019, and the first time the figure has risen from the previous year in 11 years. There has also been a rise in suicides among women and young people. 

What’s more, Japan has consistently ranked poorly in social isolation studies. In 2015, a global study by the country’s cabinet office found that 16.1% of Japanese over-60s felt they had “nobody” to turn to for help – the highest proportion of countries surveyed, followed by the US (13%) and Sweden (10.8%).

Meanwhile, in 2020 it was found that South Africans are also not immune to an epidemic of loneliness. Correlational analysis found that greater perceived risk of infection, limited perceived knowledge of COVID-19 and lower appraisals of resilience were associated with increased loneliness among young people in SA.

Investigating the impact of loneliness and where to get help

Suga underlined that “there are many kinds of loneliness” that need to be addressed, pointing to older people living in care homes who have been particularly isolated during the pandemic. Japan’s government also set up a task force that will see different departments work together to investigate the impact of loneliness.

It was previously reported that suicidal feelings and thoughts are part of depression: they are real and not a sign of weakness.

“Depression doesn’t mean a person is “crazy.” Depression is a real medical illness. Just like things can go wrong in your body, things can go wrong in your brain. Luckily, most teens who get help for their depression go on to enjoy life and feel better about themselves”.

SADAG

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) released Teen Suicide Prevention guidelines, which highlights warnings signs of suicide, how to ask a friend or family member for help, and who to contact.

The SA Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) can be reached on 011 234 4837 from 8:00 to 20:00 on Mondays to Sundays. The emergency line is 0800 567 567, and the 24-hr helpline: 0800 567 567 [www.sadag.org]. Alternatively, LifeLine can reached on 0861 322 322 (24hrs) [www.lifelinesa.co.za] and the Lifeline Western Cape WhatsApp chat is 063 709 2620. Additional resources and contact groups for various provinces can be found on www.suicide.org.