2024 Volume 73 Issue 2 Pages 136-146
Due to the rapid increase in the number of suicides in Japan in 1998, the problem of suicide has gained considerable attention. The Japanese government has promoted suicide prevention measures through revisions to the Basic Act on Suicide Prevention (2006) and the General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy (2007). However, suicide trends in Japan have changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we overview the suicide prevention measures in Japan by reviewing the establishment and revisions to the General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy and subsequently refer to the suicide trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Notably, the number of suicides among women and children has increased compared to that before the pandemic, and researchers have suggested that this is attributable to irregular employment among women and less communication among children. The General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy, revised in 2022 during the pandemic, includes measures that address the impact of the pandemic. The primary themes related to the General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy and the implementation of suicide prevention measures include prompt responses in emergencies, discussions regarding the effectiveness of each measure, measures of slander on SNS, and development of a platform for suicide prevention.
