Almost half of young people in Japan have had suicidal thoughts, according to a survey by the Nippon Foundation, with a majority of those respondents saying they did not speak with anyone about their feelings.
The report based on the survey, which sought responses from 501,018 people between the ages of 18 and 29 in November and received valid responses from 14,819, was released last month and found that 56.6% of those who had suicidal thoughts did not speak to anyone about it, while 12.4% of people said they opened up to friends and 11.7% to their mothers. More than half of the respondents were unaware of organizations or support groups that help those with suicidal thoughts.
Overall, the report showed that 44.8% of respondents had experienced suicidal ideation, citing difficulties in their relationships with others, bullying and anxiety over their future employment or educational prospects. Among those who had suicidal thoughts, 40.8% said they had prepared to take their own life or attempted it.