Suicides rose in Japan among young women and girls during pandemic

Researchers in Japan have found a significant increase in the number of suicides among women and girls between the ages of 10 and 24 during the pandemic, while there was no significant change in the suicide rate for boys and men in the same age group.

The research team analyzed data on suicides by gender across three age groups — 10 to 14, 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 — comparing the number of suicides after July 2020 with the number of suicides before the pandemic began.

According to the health ministry, the number of suicides among women and girls age between 10 and 24 in 2022 was 745, an increase of 233 compared with the 2019 figure. The data also showed that the number of boys and men in that age range who committed suicide was 1,278, an increase of 100 cases from 2019.

The research was led by Nobuyuki Horita from Yokohama City University Hospital and Sho Moriguchi from the Department of Neuroscience at Keio University using data on deaths by suicide from July 2012 to June 2022 provided by the health ministry.

The study pointed out a strong causal relationship between the pandemic and the rise in female suicides, with the loss of human contact during the health crisis due to social distancing and school closures likely having had a more severe impact on women and girls than on men and boys.

According to the study, increased incidents of abuse and domestic violence — of which girls and young women are more likely to be victims — may have also contributed to the rise.

The experts recommended a targeted mental health support system for women and girls, as well as increased access to mental health care for both genders.

Over the past 10 years, a total of 13,263 young people age 10 to 24 — 9,428 male and 3,835 female — died by suicide.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 119 in Japan for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. You can also visit telljp.com. For those in other countries, visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for a detailed list of resources and assistance.