Consideration Regarding the Increase in Youth Suicides during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Long-term Perspective

Abstract

The pandemic has led to several issues, such as long-term anxiety and distress, increased physical distance between people, loneliness and isolation, and loss of employment. In addition, there are concerns about an increase in suicides as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among young people. In Japan, long-term trends in the number of suicides show an increase around 1955 (with the first peak in 1958), followed by a second peak in 1986, and a third peak in 1998. These findings indicate that the age at which people are most susceptible to suicide has changed over time, with the increase gradually shifting from the younger age group to the middle and older ones. Furthermore, the main age group that saw an increase in suicides during the first peak became the main group that saw an increase during the second and third ones. It can be inferred that, when young people grow up in social situations that lead to an increase in suicides, they may continue to be at high risk, even after reaching middle or old age. There is still insufficient evidence to support this inference; thus, further studies and data collection are needed. The objective of this chapter is to examine the effect of the psychological distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, specifically in terms of the increase in suicides, from a long-term perspective.