For the first time in more than a decade of decline, the suicide rate in Japan increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, 20,919 people died of suicide in 2020, which was an increase of 3.7% relative to the previous year.
Although in Japan suicide is usually more common among men, women and children contributed the most to this increase.
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Compared to October 2019, the rate of suicide among women increased approximately 83% in 2020.
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Possible reasons for this increase is that women work in occupations where there is a high risk of being fired, such as part-time jobs in hotels, tourism, food services, and retail,.
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and these industries and occupations were more affected by quarantine and lock downs during the pandemic.
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In 2020 the rate of suicide among women in their 20s increased by 17% and by 14% among women 19 and younger.
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The rate of suicide among elementary and high school students between March and November 2020 increased by 30% relative to the previous year.

Psychologists around the world warned that as result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic and family difficulties, there was a probability that suicide rates would increase.
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According to experts, fear of poverty, widespread unemployment, and social isolation may cause a psychotic crisis, which may result in suicide.
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In Japan, the COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental effect on the mental health of the population, and resulted in an increase in suicides in 2020.
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The Japanese government published suicide statistics in November 2020 to show the effect of the pandemic on the public’s psyche.
Unemployment, social isolation, and worry about the future were among the effects of the pandemic that contributed to the increase in suicide cases in Japan.
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Another reason for the increase in suicide in Japan was that people felt guilty about transmitting COVID-19.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: How many years has it been since Japan had the same high suicide rate?
A: More than 10

Q: How many Japanese died in 2020 as a result of suicide?
A: 20,919

Q: How much of an increase was this relative to the previous year?
A: 3.7%

Q: In which population group in Japan is suicide more common?
A: men

Q: Which population groups contributed most to this increase?
A: women and children

Q: How much did the suicide rate of women increase in 2020 relative to 2019?
A: Approximately 83%

Q: What was the increase in the suicide rate among women in their 20s?
A: 17%

Q: What was the increase in the suicide rate among women 19 and younger?
A: 14%

Q: What was the increase in the suicide rate among elementary and high school students compared to the previous year?
A: 30%

Q: How did the pandemic affect the Japanese population’s mental health?
A: It had a detrimental effect

Q: What situations did the pandemic cause that led to the increased rate of suicide?
A: economic and family difficulties

Q: What other conditions contributed to the increased rate of suicide?
A: Unemployment, social isolation, and worry about the future were among the effects of the pandemic that contributed to the increase in suicide cases in Japan. 

Q: How did feelings of guilt affect the suicide rate?
A: They made the suicide rate increase

Q: According to experts, what causes a psychotic crisis that may lead to suicide?
A: fear of poverty, widespread unemployment, and social isolation