The reason for the increase in these cases in spring is easy to guess. In the aforementioned season is when the school year and the business year in Japan begin, so the stress and fear of returning to an emotionally heavy environment, or having to start again something that you are not happy about, can lead people to an unstable state of mind.
However, being at home for the past few weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan seems to have affected this rate, as mentioned by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare when it stated that the rate of suicides occurred in Japan. during April it decreased by 20% compared to the same month last year.
According to official statistics, 1,814 people killed themselves in April 2019, while in April 2020 the number fell by 19.8%, with 1,455 people, the lowest number reported for April in the past five years.
Ironically, a disease indirectly helps people to value life more. With everyone sheltering in their home during this pandemic, fewer of them travel daily. This means reduced contact with the work or school environment that afflicts them. The Ministry considers that keeping away from these environments could have positive long-term consequences, by offering more preparation time for these people to face such environments.
Of course 1,455 people taking their own lives is still too much. But the downward trend is still encouraging, perhaps if teleworking continues to be practiced for these types of people, even after the pandemic is mitigated, this number could continue to decline.
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