Suicide problem
editMain article: Suicide in Japan
Japan's suicide rate is high compared to the U.S. According to the systematic review Law in Everyday Japan : Sex, Sumo, Suicide, and Statutes, suicide rates have been at an elevated rate in Japan for 12 decades. In 1998, the suicide rate became more alarming as it increased, and it did not notably decrease until 2011. [1] The Yomiuri Shimbun reported in June 2008 that more than 30,000 people had killed themselves every year for the past decade, and the suicide count remained over 30,000 for the 14th year running in 2011. A study published in 2006 suspects that health problems were a factor in almost 50 percent of Japan's suicides in 2006. However, the Yomiuri's 2007 figures show 274 school children were among those who took their own lives, in which bullying was often a contributing factor. [2]
There are many factors to consider, but suicide rates overall appear to increase with age, as seen in the figure below.
As of 2003, suicides of people in their twenties made up about ten percent, those in their thirties made up about twelve percent, those in their forties made up about sixteen percent, those in their fifties made up about twenty-five percent, and those in their sixties or older made up about thirty-three percent.
Although suicide is a priority health issue, Japanese culture views the act as something different than morally wrong and unacceptable. In fact, according to Young's 2002 article, traditional Japanese culture accepts suicide as a positive moral act characterizing the person's sense of moral duty to others which is driven by social context.[3] Given that Japan is a collectivistic culture, moral duty to other members of society is important. Each individual is viewed as a part of the bigger group; everyone is considered a member of the group rather than as separated individuals. When a member feels that sacrificing their self would be best for the group as a whole, they are compelled to consider suicide as a viable option - they may believe that self-sacrifice is moral duty to the group. This is likely a part of the problem in trying to reduce the suicide rate. There is difficulty for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Japan to reduce the suicide rate when the act of suicide is, given the right circumstances, a completely rational and moral decision. [3]
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editFootnotes
edit- ^ West, M. D. (2005). Law in everyday Japan. [electronic resource] : sex, sumo, suicide, and statutes. University of Chicago Press.
- ^ Yomiuri Shimbun, 8/9/2008(?). Cited in Scott, Doug. "Japanese Delegation Visits AAPA to Learn about PA Profession" Archived 2010-12-03 at the Wayback Machine. AAPA News, July 15, 2008, p. 5. Accessed 2 December 2009.
- ^ a b Young, J. (2002), Morals, Suicide, and Psychiatry: A View from Japan. Bioethics, 16: 412-424. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8519.00299
References
editArnquist, Sarah (25 August 2009). "Health Care Abroad: Japan". The New York Times.
Britnell, Mark (2015). In Search of the Perfect Health System. London: Palgrave. p. 5-18. ISBN 978-1-137-49661-4.
Carl Freire, "Japan's suicide rate remains high", Associated Press, November 9, 2007.
"GKB47 suicide prevention slogan inspired by AKB48 criticized ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion". Japantoday.com. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
"Japan Healthcare Spending 2000-2022". www.macrotrends.net. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
Lim, Stephen; et, al. "Measuring human capital: a systematic analysis of 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016". Lancet. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
"The Japan News - Breaking News from Japan by The Yomiuri Shimbun". Yomiuri.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
West, M. D. (2005). Law in everyday Japan. [electronic resource] : sex, sumo, suicide, and statutes. University of Chicago Press.
Yamaguchi, Mari. "Injured Man Dies After Rejection by 14 Hospitals". ABC News (Associated Press), February 4, 2009. Accessed 2 December 2009.
Yomiuri Shimbun, 8/9/2008(?). Cited in Scott, Doug. "Japanese Delegation Visits AAPA to Learn about PA Profession" Archived 2010-12-03 at the Wayback Machine. AAPA News, July 15, 2008, p. 5. Accessed 2 December 2009.
Young, J. (2002), Morals, Suicide, and Psychiatry: A View from Japan. Bioethics, 16: 412-424. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8519.00299