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Suicide hotlines busy as coronavirus ravages economy

34 Comments
By Elaine Lies

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© Thomson Reuters 2020.

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34 Comments
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Where can one apply to work as a suicide hotline call taker?

8 ( +9 / -1 )

This too shall pass.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

The suicide hotline is always busy in Japan.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Seems to be the goal. to reduce the number of people who are thinking and seeking for humanity and increase the robot society with the concept of WORK EAT SLEEP and PAY .

the number of suicide show the desire to escape this society. who want to be slave and puppet of this nonsense system??

7 ( +8 / -1 )

A suicide hotline that's open only one night a week is a tragedy that could only happen in Japan. And it's truly disgusting.

19 ( +23 / -4 )

Once a week??!!

14 ( +16 / -2 )

One night a week is really too little. I do understand the need to cut back, but one night? How many days was it operating before the coronavirus situation forced the cutback?

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Why on earth is it necessary for people to sit in an office to do this work? Surely it's the definition of a job that can be done from home.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Didn’t read far enough. Was nightly.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Adampear, to be honest, i wouldnt want to talk about peoples personal issues in a home setting in the event someone you maybe living with overhears the conversation. Also the fact the if the troubled caller hears someone in the background, that too could also play a factor to their mental state.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I just don't like it's called suicide hotline. It's life-saving phone counseling.

Both operating days and volunteer numbers at the volunteer-run Tokyo Befrienders call centre have been cut to avoid coronavirus infection, but the desperate need remains.

Better hire professionals rather than volunteers. To avoid an in-house infection, they better operate at different locations.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

"Everyone has tried hard to get through lockdown.."

There was no lockdown in Japan.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

well , Virus does not mean the end of the world. plus, Suicide is not a solution. Be strong!!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Studies have shown, and the higher prevalence of suicide among demographics of men is an indicator, that loss of livelihood is a significant risk factor in suicide.

Lay the blame on the government coronavirus response, rushing to release torrents of bailout funds to Japan Inc. while any assistance to workers is tardy and paltry.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Where can one apply to work as a suicide hotline call taker?

Hamburger, I had checked into this. Finding the them is easy, but they then require training, which is not free: applicants are required to pay up to 30,000 yen for it.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It’s called “Inochi-no denwa” or life hotline in Japanese.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Adampear, to be honest, i wouldnt want to talk about peoples personal issues in a home setting in the event someone you maybe living with overhears the conversation.

i suspect that people who live alone might be willing to volunteer. That could be appropriate. If candidates were PAID to take the training instead of having to pay to take it, more might sign up. It would be good to create an NGO to support this work.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

See TELL, https://telljp.com/ for support every day or to become a Lifeline volunteer. Anyone who speaks English can use the service regardless of nationality.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

However, the monthly suicide numbers of this year show the trend of decrease.

There is possibility that the suicide rate of Japan will become better than those of the U.S and Germany in this year.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Seems very very strange. I would think a hotline could easily be operated with people working remotely.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

People are still waiting to receive any money from their local governments.

It might be possible to live on 50000 yen after paying rent and utilities and eating packs of low cost ramen IF any money had been received but it hasn’t and people can’t!

The result will be more suicides...

7 ( +8 / -1 )

"We need to take steps now, before the deaths begin,"

They finally lifted the state of emergency in Tokyo starting tomorrow. Too late for some people though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Quote, Elaine Lies: "National suicides fell 20% year-on-year in April, the first month of the country's soft lockdown." Many people probably just need to talk with someone.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

*Economic circumstance is the second biggest reason for suicides, behind health, according to 2019 police data, which also shows that men are nearly three times more likely to kill themselves than women, and most are in the 40-60 age group*

I thought that needed repeating

CSRF is an invalid.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The following sentences sadden and disappoint me ...

"[The] suicide hotline start ringing as soon as it opens for its once-weekly overnight session. They don't stop until the lone volunteer fielding calls from hundreds of people yearning to talk signs out early the next morning. ........ volunteer numbers at the volunteer-run Tokyo Befrienders call centre have been cut to avoid coronavirus infection, but the desperate need remains."

Really? With all of the free office space these days, especially overnight, government agencies and vounteer organizations can't find more than one office for volunteers to take calls .... overnight? It's heartbreaking that so many desperately sad people in Tokyo have but one person to talk to and that this poor volunteer has to field all of these calls on her or his own.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They finally lifted the state of emergency in Tokyo starting tomorrow. Too late for some people though.

any yet suicides are down by more than 30% from its highs, seems to me there's many more factors that drive people to suicide than just unemployment.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It happens in other countries too, but it is a pity this kind of counselling is not viewed as frontline care and funded and operated by the state.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A suicide service, open once a week, for calls from people who are simply worried but not necessarily suicidal. Sigh.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

There was no lockdown in Japan.

There was a complete stoppage of many businesses though. Bills don't pay themselves...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"men are nearly three times more likely to kill themselves than women, and most are in the 40-60 age group" so, do we have any data for 20-40 year olds? and as for the hot line being open on a Tuesday night, WTF? should it not be open 24/7? this would spread the work load out, you could have a skeleton staff during the day and possibly a few more over night, this would improve things dramatically, it would help out with social distancing in the office, and the phone operators would be able to spend more time with someone who is depressed. I think that someone should post a link to the suicide help line web site that help no end of people.

And good luck, and thank you to all of the staff and volunteers that undertake this fantastic service.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Kyoto University's Resilience Research Unit has predicted 2,400 more suicides for each 1% rise in unemployment. 

Well, they should be grateful they didn't die from Covid-19, eh?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I read that youth suicide was down in Japan recently because of school closures. I wouldn't be surprised if there's an uptick once they open again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I read that youth suicide was down in Japan recently because of school closures. I wouldn't be surprised if there's an uptick once they open again.

A high school student of mine said the same thing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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