Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ News / World/  Japan's suicides jump 16% in COVID-19 second wave: Study
BackBack

Japan's suicides jump 16% in COVID-19 second wave: Study

The July-October suicide rate in Japan rose 16% from same period a year earlier, a stark reversal of the February-June decline of 14%, according to the study
  • The early decline in suicides was affected by such factors as government subsidies, reduced working hours and school closure, the study found
  • (representational image)Premium
    (representational image)

    Tokyo: Suicide rates in Japan have jumped in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women and children, even though they fell in the first wave when the government offered generous handouts to people, a survey found.

    The July-October suicide rate rose 16% from the same period a year earlier, a stark reversal of the February-June decline of 14%, according to the study by researchers at Hong Kong University and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.

    "Unlike normal economic circumstances, this pandemic disproportionately affects the psychological health of children, adolescents and females (especially housewives)," the authors wrote in the study published on Friday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

    The early decline in suicides was affected by such factors as government subsidies, reduced working hours and school closure, the study found.

    But the decline reversed - with the suicide rate jumping 37% for women, about five times the increase among men - as the prolonged pandemic hurt industries where women predominate, increasing the burden on working mothers, while domestic violence increased, the report said.

    The study, based on health ministry data from November 2016 to October 2020, found the child suicide rate spiked 49% in the second wave, corresponding to the period after a nationwide school closure.

    Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga this month issued a COVID-19 state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures in a bid to stem the resurgence. He expanded it this week to seven more prefectures, including Osaka and Kyoto.

    Taro Kono, administrative and regulatory reform minister, told Reuters on Thursday that while the government would consider extending the state of emergency, it "cannot kill the economy."

    "People worry about COVID-19. But a lot of people have also committed suicide because they have lost their jobs, they have lost their income and couldn't see the hope," he said. "We need to strike the balance between managing COVID-19 and managing the economy."


    Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

    This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

    Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
    More Less
    Published: 16 Jan 2021, 05:54 PM IST
    Next Story footLogo
    Recommended For You
    Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App