Suicide fear after Japan's disasters
Source: Agencies |
June 11, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SURVIVORS of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami need long-term mental health care to protect them from debilitating conditions that could lead to suicide, Japan's government said yesterday.
In its annual policy paper on suicide prevention, the Cabinet Office decided to include a separate section on the psychological needs of disaster victims.
The report said survivors may be undergoing shock, stress and depression from the overwhelming losses. They may also feel guilty for escaping death.
More than 23,000 are dead or missing, and entire towns along Japan's northeast coast were washed away in the twin disasters.
Observers around the world have lauded survivors' calm demeanor in the face of tragedy and destruction, but the report warned against assumptions that the Japanese could largely withstand problems like post traumatic stress disorder.
"In fact, we cannot determine this until we are able to obtain detailed information," the report said.
Japan already has one of the highest suicide rates in the industrialized world, with nearly 25 suicides per 100,000 people. That compares to about 11 per 100,000 in the United States.
The figure trails only Russia, parts of Eastern Europe and South Korea.
Suicides in Japan rose dramatically during a financial crisis in 1998, and more than 30,000 people have killed themselves every year since.
Three months after the disaster, the Japanese Red Cross cited mental health as a "major concern," especially among the 91,000 still living in evacuation shelters. It is expanding the number of caregivers and support teams working in evacuation centers and nursing homes.
In its annual policy paper on suicide prevention, the Cabinet Office decided to include a separate section on the psychological needs of disaster victims.
The report said survivors may be undergoing shock, stress and depression from the overwhelming losses. They may also feel guilty for escaping death.
More than 23,000 are dead or missing, and entire towns along Japan's northeast coast were washed away in the twin disasters.
Observers around the world have lauded survivors' calm demeanor in the face of tragedy and destruction, but the report warned against assumptions that the Japanese could largely withstand problems like post traumatic stress disorder.
"In fact, we cannot determine this until we are able to obtain detailed information," the report said.
Japan already has one of the highest suicide rates in the industrialized world, with nearly 25 suicides per 100,000 people. That compares to about 11 per 100,000 in the United States.
The figure trails only Russia, parts of Eastern Europe and South Korea.
Suicides in Japan rose dramatically during a financial crisis in 1998, and more than 30,000 people have killed themselves every year since.
Three months after the disaster, the Japanese Red Cross cited mental health as a "major concern," especially among the 91,000 still living in evacuation shelters. It is expanding the number of caregivers and support teams working in evacuation centers and nursing homes.
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