Crisis: Continued High Rate of Suicides Among Elementary, Middle, and High School Students: The Need for Multifaceted Measures and Community Collaboration

Approximately 22,000 people died by suicide in 2023 in Japan. While this figure represents a slight decrease from the previous year, the number of suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students remains high, exceeding 500. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare views this situation as "critical" and has announced strengthened countermeasures. Since the motives behind suicides among young people are often unclear, measures focusing on early detection and mental health care are needed, such as expanding consultation services utilizing SNS and school terminals.

The Current State and Challenges of Suicide Prevention: Strengthening Local Level Initiatives

Since the enactment of the Basic Act on Suicide Countermeasures in 2006, suicide has been recognized as a "social problem," and national-level countermeasures have been promoted. As a result, the number of suicides has been decreasing, but the situation remains serious. In particular, suicides among women and young people have increased in recent years, partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2016 revision of the Basic Act on Suicide Countermeasures mandated that each local government develop a regional suicide prevention plan. This highlights the need for detailed measures at the local level. However, many challenges remain, including cooperation between prefectures and municipalities, collaboration with NPOs and private organizations, and measures against social isolation.

The Role of Municipal Governments: Functioning as the Core of Regional Collaboration

Municipal governments, being closest to the residents, play a crucial role in suicide prevention. While each local government implements support measures based on the basic guidelines for suicide prevention, strengthening collaboration across the entire region is essential to promote more effective countermeasures.

The Japan Urban Center Foundation established a "Study Group on the Approach to Suicide Countermeasures by Municipal Governments" in fiscal year 2023 to conduct research on the current state, challenges, and future direction of suicide prevention measures by municipal governments. The study group collects opinions from various perspectives, including municipal government officials and NPO members, and compiles concrete recommendations such as strengthening regional cooperation and improving the methods for evaluating suicide prevention measures.

Multifaceted Countermeasures: Enhancing Consultation Systems, Addressing Isolation, and Collaborating with Educational Institutions

Suicide prevention requires a multifaceted approach, including strengthening consultation systems, addressing social isolation, and collaborating with educational institutions.

Enhancing Consultation Systems

It is important to establish an environment where anyone can easily access consultation services, such as the "Unified Telephone Line for Mental Health Consultation" and SNS consultation windows. Young people, in particular, tend to prefer SNS consultation to telephone consultations, so improving the quality and raising awareness of SNS consultation is needed.

Measures Against Social Isolation

Strengthening connections among local residents and preventing isolation is crucial. The entire community needs to work together to promote participation in community activities and establish systems to watch over those who are prone to isolation.

Collaboration with Educational Institutions

Schools play an important role in the mental health care of children. It is necessary to strengthen suicide prevention measures in schools, including training for teachers on mental health, increasing the number of school counselors, and creating an environment where students can easily consult with each other about their problems.

Responding to New Challenges: The Impact of SNS and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Recently, new challenges have emerged, such as the impact of social networking services (SNS) and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact of SNS

Countermeasures are needed against defamation and suicide-inducing information on SNS. Collaboration with SNS providers, restricting access to harmful information, and improving media literacy education are required.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The economic hardship and changes in lifestyle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have placed a significant burden on people's mental health. Measures are needed to address the impact of the pandemic, such as economic support, the establishment of consultation windows for daily life, and the provision of mental health care services.

Future Outlook: Protecting Lives Together as a Community

Suicide prevention is a challenge that should be addressed not only by administrative bodies but by the entire community. Various stakeholders, such as companies, NPOs, and residents, need to work together to create a society where everyone can live in peace of mind.

To achieve this, it is essential for each resident to be aware of suicide issues, reach out to those around them, and know the information about consultation services, starting with what they can do.

Summary

The persistently high number of suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students is an urgent issue that must be addressed by society as a whole. In addition to the strengthened countermeasures of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, it is necessary to promote multifaceted measures through collaboration between local governments, educational institutions, NPOs, private companies, and local residents. Let's move forward with community-wide efforts to protect lives and create a society where everyone can live comfortably.