Coronavirus concerns overwhelming Japan's suicide hotlines

To anyone out there wondering on suicide I'd like to say that everything has a solution, except death itself. I was once desperate and thought of no escape, then there I saw the light. Suicide is no option. :-)

volunteers, thank you for your service. you are doing very difficult work in an especially dangerous time.

How could you shut down some of these centres at a time like this? Aren’t these some of the most essential workers?

what’s the point of saving Coronavirus victims if you’ll just sacrifice those lives in other ways?

I wonder if these "inochi no denwa" lines are taking some overflow from the Corona-virus hotlines, that seem to be so overwhelmed that people can't get through for days. These "inochi no denwa" volunteers, like the TELL (Tokyo English Life Life) volunteers undergo some serious months-long training for the job. You can't just call up a temp agency and add more people on the phones. The Corona-virus hotlines should be able to do that.

Thanks to all the volunteers. I hope they are getting their own counselling.

The numbers of suicide for this year are as follows; (the last year ) 

January : 1,667 (1,684)

February : 1,434 (1,615)

March : 1,704 (1,856)

April : 1,455 (1,814)

Up to now, the number has decreased against the last year. However, if the effect of the novel virus continues, suicide may increase in the near future. The reason why suicide in April decreased significantly could be "stay home" orders. Because of not going to offices or schools, many people may feel peaceful.

This workers are essential at a time like this.

People being shut in, not working or making money, not being able to meet with friends or even family members, some will go to a dark place, it's good to have a place to call without being judge or freaking out your family that you'll commit suicide.

Thank you for the hard work. The government should definitely give full support and expand the program if necessary.

Well done hotline volunteers. All of them are doing an amazing job.

Of course getting on a train without hand sanitizer or a mask is going to cause concern but what of the companies that don’t support their part time workers?

There are many in limbo without a job and without any type of benefit.

Consider that the Japanese government cannot even deliver 2 cloth masks adequately then this and next month will see the rise of suicides and crime by desperate people.

Anxiety is real. Japanese people, especially males, are particularly vulnerable right now because their job titles are a big part of their identity. You can say what you like about this. Weakness, unnecessary, whatever but the fact remains that it is real. There are going to be job cuts this year and a lot of people have never faced any kind of adversity.

If you know someone who might be going through a hard time reach out to them and listen to them. RU OK? You just might save a life

Up to now, the number has decreased against the last year. However, if the effect of the novel virus continues, suicide may increase in the near future. The reason why suicide in April decreased significantly could be "stay home" orders. Because of not going to offices or schools, many people may feel peaceful.

Though the decrease is statistically significant, I'm not sure whether and how much "stay-home" contributed to it. An interesting phenomenon, anyway.

4月の自殺者数が前年比で約2割減 「職場や学校に追い込む何かが…」という声も

https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/story_jp_5ebb58afc5b6ae915a8be073

Worried about their sometimes elderly counselors who often work in confined call center spaces, some of the federation's member organizations have suspended services.

Good grief. It's a telephone job. Telework. The hint is in the name.

Who is running these organizations that they are completely unable to find a solution to this really simple problem?

Be brave and stay safe. This situation, as bad as it is, won’t last forever.

I don't think it's necessarily coronavirus to blame, as much as people want to. 

Hater's are going to hate! Sure dont blame the virus, just as you lay the blame for all the deaths on "other conditions", the virus has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that more people are contemplating or committing suicide!

What a condescending comment! People being shut-in, many alone, many not able to cope with looking at the same 4 walls, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, unable to go out, unable to have interaction, physically with friends, family and people in general.

Nah it's not the fault of the virus!

To anyone out there wondering on suicide I'd like to say that everything has a solution, except death itself. I was once desperate and thought of no escape, then there I saw the light. Suicide is no option. :-)

So true. Sometimes you have to stop and step away, but there's a solution and hope.

Up to now, the number has decreased against the last year

Thanks for the numbers, kokontozai. What we have at the moment is mass anxiety and actual hardship/loss of income/status etc. due the economic fallout. In very simple generalized terms, I guess there are two types of suicides, one will be people with actual medical depression, and the other will be non-depressives who have encountered adverse and potentially devastating circumstances. This increase in calls to the helplines will be this second type, who also probably be the easiest suicides to avoid. From a strictly utilitarian viewpoint, the helplines will do a very efficient job for the tiny amount of money spent on them. They could be the most cost-effective health measure of all.

It is unfathomable that they cannot do this kind of work from home or some other location besides the call centres. I mean, if ANY kind of work should be able to be done from home, it's that involving calling somewhere. Why do they even have to be in call centres to begin with? I know business people and even regular shmoes who have an extra phone they keep on them for "business". Surely the workers could have a phone for this purpose to work with, or a Skype account or something.

Second, calls about Corona virus concerns should not have to be dealt with by these people, any more than a firefighter being dispatched to a house just to find it's a lonely old man or woman who wants to talk to someone. Is is a service to help people who are suicidal or potentially so.

The people that answer the telephone in these places are unsung heroes, they go about there work 24/7, I personally thank you all. as for the running of these telephone hot lines, I would think that they are run on a voluntary basis, if so we, the public need to send in money and donate as much as possible to support these volunteers or paid staff.

@Tara- maybe guts or some bravery not courage though. Nothing courageous in killing yourself.

Nah it's not the fault of the virus!

yet suicides are still down compared to last year, there are a lot of different factors that lead people to suicide and the statistics show its not predominantly because of the coronavirus.

I’ll say it again, why are people panicking? The following numbers are the ones I focus on. Active Cases:

May 2-9932 / May 3-9917 / May 4-9891 / May 5-9371 / May 6-9191 / May 7-7820 / May 8-7791 / May 9-6866 / May 10-6664 / May 11-6431 / May 12-5411 / May 13-5299

See a pattern? 4% critical condition. I’d say the people in Japan are doing a great job and I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s give credit where credit is do. Yes, we can test,test, test like America and have over a million positive but how many of those positives are equivalent to a common cold?

@oldman_13Today  06:58 am JST

I don't think it's necessarily coronavirus to blame, as much as people want to. People who decide to commit suicide or are thinking of it had other issues way before suicidal thoughts.

You may be right but also your comment shows a lack of understanding regarding anxiety and stress. I am in no way condoning suicide but for people who have never been to the dark places in our minds due to anxiety, ptsd etc your comment Is a little simplistic and lacking knowledge of the human condition. Life can blindside you and often does.

Nah it's not the fault of the virus!

It might not be the fault of the virus, but it sure doesn't help.

Japan's suicide hotlines are struggling. 50 suicide prevention organizations employing some 6,000 counselors across Japan. Incoming calls its members have received has soared. Fears about their job security due to business closures or a sharp fall in customer numbers. Suicidal thoughts after family members became infected. Some of the federation's member organizations have suspended services. Service every Tuesday in May and will increase the number of operating days from June. Want to share the suffering of people who cannot tell others about their worries. Want people to support our activities through donations

If the media didn’t blow

up this situation so much......

I don't think it's necessarily coronavirus to blame, as much as people want to. People who decide to commit suicide or are thinking of it had other issues way before suicidal thoughts.

The point being that coronavirus pushed them over the edge with unnecessary burden...

Sure dont blame the virus, just as you lay the blame for all the deaths on "other conditions",

Well said!

suicide means the desire to get out of this crazy planet! people are sick and tired of this circus manipulation

> Yes, we can test,test, test like America

Since1981 - with those few words, You lost a helluva lot of credibility.

Derek GrebeToday  09:31 am JST

Yes, we can test,test, test like America*

Since1981 - with those few words, You lost a helluva lot of credibility.

And yet another learning from CNN style of reporting. Cut up another persons sentence to feed your own agenda. My comment does not imply that Japan should test as America does.

Sucide is not such a easy way, ONE NEED COURAGE to commit it.

Nothing new here. Japan has been a country that likes to commit sucide for many reason dont let covid19 be the reason. Give me the famous train station in Tokyo for suicides....like shin-koiwa. I undestand your misserable and want attention blame that on the JP Govt that has poor testing capability and medical help

Will more die from suicide and the adverse affects of a broken economy than from the disease?

Japanese society needs to unabashedly agree to the percentage of people they are willing to lose to Covid while continuing on with their lives in the safest way that doesn't close businesses and bankrupt its citizens.

We do this all the time with all risks in life.

Japan needs to get a grip of its suicide culture as well....

I don't think it's necessarily coronavirus to blame, as much as people want to. People who decide to commit suicide or are thinking of it had other issues way before suicidal thoughts.