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The number of suicides in 2020 reached 29,919, according to the suicide statistics of the National Police Agency (preliminary figures) of the 22nd. Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the number of people increased by 750 from the value confirmed in 2019 (3.7% more than the previous year). The number of women has become an increase, the highest in the last five years.
◆ Consultation of an outstanding woman “A bad mother”
“I want to disappear when I think I’m bothering everyone because I’m alive” (High school girl) “Children refuse to go to school. Bad mother” (30-year-old woman)
The NPO “Tokyo Mental Health Plaza” has many heartbreaking inquiries from people who have considered suicide. It is said that between 70 and 80% of all consultations are from women, and there are conspicuous voices complaining of financial difficulties, such as those who lost their jobs due to crown disease.
According to a survey conducted by the Nomura Research Institute on the Internet of some 56,000 part-time women in December last year, 10.4% responded that “the change has decreased by more than 50% due to the influence of the new crown” . Of them, 74.1% answered that they did not receive the vacation allowance. Estimating from this relationship, it is said that some 900,000 women are in the same situation nationwide.
There is also a national system that provides money directly to workers if the employer does not provide a leave allowance. However, in the survey, more than half of those surveyed said they “did not know” that allowances and benefits also apply to part-time workers.
◆ “The suicide of a celebrity also has an effect”
Yasuyuki Shimizu, representative of the NPO “Suicide Countermeasure Support Center Lifelink”, pointed out that “the influence of the new crown may have gone to women and young people who are in a socially vulnerable position.” Many women are in non-regular employment, “while suffering from hiring and unemployment, isolation from long-term care and childcare, and worsening damage from domestic violence (DV), the suicide of a celebrity also affected them.”
The number of suicides among men is roughly twice that of women, but by international comparison, the suicide rate of Japanese women is the fourth highest in the world, which is higher than that of men. Japan is said to be the only country of the seven developed countries where suicide is the leading cause of death among young people.
Regarding future measures, Mr. Shimizu said, “Suicide is often caused by unemployment and hardship, leading to problems such as debt and family discord,” and relaxed the requirements of the media protection system. lifetime. Emphasize the importance of. It is said that it is difficult for people who are forced to commit suicide to find appropriate support measures on their own, saying: “In addition to increasing the number of consultations for suicide prevention, the” push type “that transmits supportive information government based on age, gender and attributes. We need support measures. ” (Kai Okuno, Mitsuharu Umeno)
