Altern und Suizidalität im heutigen Japan

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image sizeAbstractWhile the suicide rates in Japan have been particularly high for many years, they reached a new peak in 2007. As a population group, older people substantially contributed to this grim record. According to National Police Agency statistics, the most common individual motives for suicide were health and financial problems. With the ageing of Japanese society and the ongoing socio-economic transformations, more and more people are affected by such problems. The fact that a growing number of elderly people judge their own lives not worth living and bring it to an early end seems to be symptomatic, at least in part, of the situation of the elderly.Culturally specific issues, such as the reluctance to talk about psychological problems or to seek professional help, represent important obstacles both for the treatment of suicidal tendencies and for suicide prevention in Japan. Moreover, primary care practitioners as well as clinical physicians lack adequate education in both diagnosing and treating psychological problems in general, or suicidal thoughts and behaviour in particular. Since previous attempts by the authorities to implement suicide-prevention measures proved ineffective, in 2007 the Japanese government put into action a comprehensive and ambitious plan to lower the suicide rate by 20 per cent within the next ten years. Meanwhile, numerous regional projects and self-help organizations have emerged and attained the first successes in increasing the quality of life of the elderly and bringing down the number of suicides in this age group.Based on a selective review of recent medical and sociological literature and an evaluation of epidemiological data, this article offers an overview of the essential trends and characteristics of suicide among the elderly in Japan, including aspects specific to rural areas. In addition, the particular situation in the markedly affected prefecture of Akita is sketched to illustrate how regional measures of suicide prevention have been successfully implemented.Keywords: AlternSuizidEinflussfaktorenPräfektur AkitaPrävention Additional informationNotes on contributorsJulius PoppJulius Popp 1991–1998 Studium der Humanmedizin an den Universitäten Tübingen und Bordeaux, Frankreich. 1999 Promotion an der Universität Tübingen und Approbation. 1999–2002 klinische Tätigkeit in Bamberg und Montpellier, Frankreich (Neurologie) sowie Berlin (Psychiatrie). Seit 2003 Wissenschaftlicher Assistent Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik für Psychiatrie. Seit 2007 Facharzt für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie.Johannes H. WilhelmJohannes Harumi Wilhelm 1990–2001 Studium in Hamburg, Tübingen und Bonn mit Abschluss in Japanologie, Volkskunde und Vergleichende Religionswissenschaft. 2001–2009 Promotion im Fach Japanologie in Bonn. 2002–2004 Forschungsaufenthalt in Japan am National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka. 2004–2009 Dozent und Associate Professor an der Universität Akita.