Suicide prevention in Japan

- Our Approach Using Search Ads to Reach Out Youth in Crisis -

1. Experiences from Japan: high rates motility of suicide

Suicide is serious global public health issue.

In Japan, more than 30,000 people died by suicide every year between 1998 and 2011. As a result not only of these efforts by the national government but also of various initiatives by local public entities, related organizations, private sector entities and others, the number of suicide in 2019 fell to a historic low totaled 20,169 which was the lowest incidence since the statistical data began in 1978.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the increase of suicides.

In 2020, 20,919 people died by suicides (preliminary data) and 750 people more than the previous year. In particular, the latest data warns that more children and teens take their own lives. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) reported that 479 teens died by suicide in 2020 which was the highest ever recorded since 1978.

Number of Suicide death in Japan since 1978 - 2019

Data Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2019). Suicide Statics. White Paper on Suicide Prevention in Japan.
Graph was edited and produced by OVA based on the data source.

Regarding to the data reported by WHO, Japan has experienced the worst suicide mortality rate among the Group of Seven (G7) countries (Both sexes 18.5%, Males 26.6%, Females 10.8%).

Suicide rates among G7 countries

Data Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2019). Suicide Statics. White Paper on Suicide Prevention in Japan.
Graph was edited and produced by OVA based on the data source.

Suicide is the top causes of death in Japan, particularly in age group of 15 to 39. According to sex disaggregated data, suicide is ranked as first for Males aged 10 to 44 and Females aged 15 to 34.

The reduction of suicide mortality has been prioritized by the Government of Japan.

Suicide: Top causes of death among youth in 2018

Data Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2019). Suicide Statics. White Paper on Suicide Prevention in Japan.
Graph was edited and produced by OVA based on the data source.

2. National response for suicide prevention: Pathway to transform the society realizing “no one will be driven to take their own lives

Suicide prevention of Japan has officially launched since 2006 when the Basic Law on Suicide Countermeasures (Amended in 2016) was established. Under this law, suicide became no longer the personal issues but it has been identified as social issues which the Government should strive to tackle with the comprehensive manners. In 2007, the Cabinet Office released the “the General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy Realizing a Society in Which No One Is Driven to Take Their Own Life” (Amendment was approved in 2017) addressing to the prolonged high mortality rates of suicide in Japan.

Basic Law on Suicide Countermeasures (Law No. 85 of 2006, Revised in 2016)

Local municipalities and prefectures are required by law to develop local plans for implementing suicide prevention measures.
This approach has accelerated efforts to prevent suicide across the country as local authorities are closer to residents in a community.

General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy (2007, Revised in 2017)

Vision of the policy is “Realizing a Society in Which No One Is Driven to Take Their Own Life”.
By 2026, reduce more than 30% of the suicide rate compared to the data in 2015.
The responsibilities of local government at each level were clarified. Prefectural government offices have the responsibility to provide guidance in supporting the work of local municipalities.
The national government and the Japan Suicide Countermeasures Promotion Center (JSCP) support local government planning, monitoring and evaluation both financially and technically.

Data Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2017). The General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy. English version. Translated by Japan Support Center for Suicide Countermeasures.
World Health Organization. (2018) National suicide prevention strategies: progress, examples and indicators. Geneva. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

For further details and references please refer to the original source.
The World Health Organization (WHO) MiNDbank. (2021) A database of resources covering mental health, substance abuse, disability, general health, human rights and development. Available at: https://www.mindbank.info/collection/country/japan/suicide_prevention_ (Accessed 26 July 2021)

3. What OVA IS DOING? REACHING OUT TO “VOICELESS” INDIVIDUALS

ISSUES WE'RE ADDRESSING

Every month, Google searches for the phrase “I want to die” 130,000~240,000 times in Japan.
In this regard, the Government of Japan has the explicit policy for “strengthening suicide countermeasures that make use of ICT under the Suicide Prevention Policy amended in 2017.
Suicide rate and search volume of suicide related words have timeline relations. (Yang.et al,2011;McCarthy,2009)
History of suicide attempts and history of suicide related search have relations. (Sueki,2011)
Approximately 60% of individuals who are vising suicidal website have 1 or more attempts of suicide. (Sueki et al,2012)

OUR APPROACH

Step 1: identify high risk individuals through search ad

Thousands of voiceless “help” are typed on the internet every single moment.

OVA uses search ads technology of search engines such as Google and Yahoo to identify individuals in crisis. In response to the search terms or topics relevant to suicide, the search ads which OVA has created will be appeared. The online ads can guide them on how to get real social supports.

Step 2: Encourage individuals to get social resources

Once our ads are clicked, the landing page will be shown.

We try to emphasize that there is a place for you to talk over the text.

Step 3: Empower individuals’ help-seeking capability

A series of online counselling will be provided by the Social Workers trained by OVA. Text-based counseling aims to enhance their seeking capability. Usability and anonymity are the solid advantages of text based communication. These can help to reduce peoples’ phycological barriers to express their thoughts into words.

Evidence based is our value.

For the robust outreach of suicide prevention, we are collaborating with academic researchers in the field of Clinical Psychology to assess the impact of intervention and evaluate the relevance and efficacy of our approach. We keep working on upgrading our strategies.

4. RESOURCES

Download the OVA’s publications including research papers, toolkit and guides, designed for practitioners working for suicide prevention. Please fill out the Contact Form below.

*Free of charge.
*Documents are available in English.

This graphic template was created by Slidesgo, including illustrations by StorySet, and infographics & images by Freepik.

5. Getting in touch / contact form

Suicides are preventable with early interventions and social supports from your community.

In your community, there is a person
who searches how to end their lives.
　 who expresses their helpless feelings on the internet to cope with.

Each of us can play a role to end this extremely painful experience.
Please reach out your hands for those who are suffering in silence.

Governments, local entities, institutes, organizations and communities striving for suicide prevention can take an immediate action to help people in crisis though the search advertising technology which widely introduced in Japan.
If you are an individual interested in preventing suicides, please share this website to your cohort by SNS.

OVA is passionate about reaching out to people in crisis and supporting communities across the border.
Those people deserves immediate help.
If your are interested in our project for suicide prevention using search advertising, fill out the contact form below.

We would love to get in touch with the global cohort to share our experiences on suicide prevention compiled in Japan.
Or, you can contact info■ova-japan.org (please replace ■ with @) for your questions or comments.

Your Privacy is protected.
We will never pass your information to third parties.
For further information on how your data is used, please read our Privacy Policy (click).

Contact Form

※Set of research papers are:
・Sueki, H., & Ito, J. (2015) Suicide prevention through online gatekeeping using search advertising techniques: A feasibility study.Crisis 36(4), 267-273.
・Sueki, H., & Ito, J. (2018) Appropriate targets for search advertising as part of online gatekeeping for suicide prevention. Crisis 39(3), 197-204.
・Sueki, Hajime & Asumi, Takahashi & Ito, Jiro. (2021). The effects of the online gatekeeping using search-based advertising on users’ suicidal ideation. 10.31234/osf.io/u4wnz.

*Free of charge.
*Documents are available in English.

Contact Form

*Free of charge.
*Documents are available in English.

6. AbouT US

OVA provides free, high-quality text based online counselling services for children and youth at risk of suicidal thoughts, anxiety, depression, abuse, self-harm or anything in between. Our strategy is to identify anyone who are distressed at their moments through search advertising technology.

The Crisis Support Team consists of Social Workers provides a series of text-based counselling to empower their help-seeking capabilities.

Mission

Aiming for a world of loving relationships that is not indifferent to the pain of others.

Our Vision

Creating a flat social system where everyone can access support.

Strategy

Removing all barriers to access to support.
Delivering support to as many people as possible who cannot say “help” to those around them.

Value

Focus on Mission
Seek to understand
Invest innovative and creative solutions
Contribute to evidence based suicide prevention focusing on high-risk individuals
Learn and grow individually and collectively

This graphic template was created by Slidesgo, including illustrations by StorySet, and infographics & images by Freepik.