出版社：Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training
摘要：In Japan, suicides increased sharply in 1998, passing the 30,000 mark. Over the next 14 years until 2011, the number remained at a high level in excess of 30,000 each year. In the meantime, measures to prevent suicides were promoted at national level through the Basic Act on Suicide Prevention (enforced from October 2006) and the Outline of Compre-hensive Suicide Measures (formulated in June 2007). The FY 2012 draft budget for suicide prevention measures was around 18.7 billion yen, including sums for measures to "Clarify the facts concerning suicide," "Encourage public vigilance," "Train personnel to play a cen-tral role in early countermeasures," "Promote mental health," "Make appropriate psychiatric care available," "Prevent suicides as a social initiative," "Prevent repeated suicide at-tempts," "Ease the distress of surviving family members," and "Strengthen cooperation with private organizations." According to the latest statistical data released by the National Po-lice Agency ("Monthly Suicide Statistics for 2012 [Provisional Figures as of December 31]," Jan. 17th, 2013), there were 27,766 suicides in 2012. This was the first time since 1998 that the number had fallen below 30,000. The reasons behind the decrease in suicides will doubtless be discussed from various angles as time goes on. There is a suggestion, however, that enhanced public awareness and increased knowledge of suicide resulting from these nationwide measures, via practical activities by local authorities, private organi-zations and others, could have been one factor in helping to prevent suicides
