Suicide Rate Drops 11 percent in First Half of 2012
July 10, 2012--Kyodo News reports the number of people committing suicide between January and June 2012 stood at 14,154, down 11.7 percent from a year earlier. The figures come from a preliminary report published by the National Police Agency, which tracks suicide statistics nationwide.
Though premature, the news is welcome as the suicide rate in Japan has remained persistently high – over 30,000 a year for the last 14 years. Of that figure, males accounted for 9,920 and women 4,234 of the total.
Kyodo quotes a Cabinet Office official as suggesting the decline could be attributed to measures such as the enhancement of consultation services that are finally paying off.
TELL will mark World Suicide Prevention Day on September 8, and run 2 Suicide Prevention Workshops on September 26 and October 17 that teach the community how to spot the signs and take action if someone they know is thinking of killing themselves.
LINKS
Kyodo News: http://english.kyodonews.jp/
National Police Agency: http://www.npa.go.jp/english/index.htm
TELL Suicide Prevention Workshops: http://www.telljp.com/index.php?/en/suicide_awareness