According to reports, at least about 15 people have been killed and dozens of others being wounded in a suicide bombing attack at a restaurant in central Somalia.

Suicide bombing in central Somalia: Prime Minister condemns

The pleas to Amazon were explicit. A food preservative sold by the online retailer and other e-commerce sites was being used as a poison to die by suicide.

“Please stop selling this product,” began one review, posted on Amazon in July 2019 by a person who wrote that a niece had used it to kill herself. “I’ve already notified Amazon and they said they would help with this but they have not.”

Since then, suicides linked to sales of the preservative through Amazon have continued. The New York Times identified 10 people who had killed themselves using the chemical compound after buying it through the site in the past two years, including a 16-year-old girl in Ohio, a pair of college freshmen in Pennsylvania and Missouri, and a 27-year-old in Texas whose mother has filed a wrongful death suit against Amazon. Enough people purchased the preservative to attempt suicide that the company’s algorithm began suggesting other products that customers frequently bought along with it to aid in such efforts.

But when family members left behind and others alerted Amazon to the deaths and to the danger of the sales, the company declined to act.

Now, members of Congress are demanding answers. In a letter sent last week to Andy Jassy, Amazon’s president and CEO, a bipartisan group of House members sought an accounting of the company’s sales of the preservative and related suicides, details on how the retailer had addressed the dangers, and an explanation of how it had responded to complaints.

The move comes just weeks after publication of a Times investigation that linked a website, which provides explicit instructions on suicide, to a long trail of deaths. Most were from the chemical compound, sold legally in many countries. Site members advised one another on where to buy it and how to use it. Many of those who died — the Times has identified more than 50 people — were under 25; some were minors.

In response to the article, members of Congress have sought briefings from Google and other tech companies that help make the suicide site accessible, and have asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to consider ways to prosecute its operators.

In their letter to Amazon, seven House lawmakers pressed the company, saying that the ease and swiftness with which vulnerable people could buy the compound, called sodium nitrite, was a “grave concern.”

The lawmakers are targeting Amazon for questioning because they believe it to be the e-commerce site most often used to buy the compound and get it quickly delivered, and because of claims by parents and others that product reviews on Amazon warning about the danger were removed, said Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In a written response to the lawmakers on Thursday, Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president for public policy, extended condolences to families of the dead while defending Amazon’s practices and sales of the compound. He said it was used for a range of purposes and was available from other retailers.

“Amazon makes a wide selection of products available to our customers because we trust that they will use those products as intended by the manufacturers,” he wrote. “Like many widely-available consumer products,” he added, the compound “can unfortunately be misused.”

The lawmakers found the company’s answers insufficient.

“Amazon had the opportunity with their response to collaborate with us on this issue that’s tragically ending the lives of people across our nation,” Trahan said. “Instead, they failed to answer many of our most critical questions”

In email exchanges with the Times, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the 10 deaths that the Times identified.

Other sites said they had restricted sales of the compound.

Last year, an eBay director wrote to a coroner in England that the company had prohibited global sales of the compound in 2019 after receiving a report of its potential use in suicides. However, the Times identified eight suicides involving eBay sales of the poison since then, including a death the coroner was reviewing.

eBay did not respond to detailed emails and messages seeking comment. But in the letter to the coroner, the eBay director acknowledged that despite the ban, it was possible for “unscrupulous or unaware sellers to circumvent our policies and filters.” He wrote that the company would support government restrictions on online sales of the chemical to prevent suicides.

In November 2020, Etsy banned sales of the compound, said a spokesperson, who declined to explain why. An Etsy customer posted in May 2018 that he was planning to use his purchase to kill himself. In August 2020, a 35-year-old in Mississippi wrote on the suicide site that he had bought the compound on the site. Days later, he was dead.

The United States is among many countries that allow the chemical compound to be sold as a food preservative, and the federal Food and Drug Administration regulates its use for that purpose.

There is no systematic tracking of suicides involving the compound, but the Times identified dozens of people who had used it since 2018 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia. More than 300 members of the suicide website had announced intentions to use the compound to kill themselves.

A study of 47 cases of poisoning by the preservative reported to the National Poison Data System over a five-year period found that suicide attempts with it had been increasing since 2017. A 2020 article in the Journal of Emergency Medicine warned that because the compound “is readily accessible through online vendors, and is being circulated through various suicide forums,” emergency rooms might see more patients who have used it.

Dr. Kyle Pires, a resident emergency room physician at Yale University Hospital who treated a 28-year-old woman who had bought the compound on Amazon, wrote in the journal Clinical Toxicology about her death and the recent rise in suicides by this method. The article, published last May, said policymakers should be aware of the preservative’s use in suicides and encouraged emergency rooms to stock doses of an antidote, methylene blue, that can prevent death if administered early.

Pires said businesses should be able to buy the preservative, but sales to individuals should be banned.

“There’s an argument that it’s a slippery slope to restrict sales of something that is legal just because some people are using it to kill themselves,” Pires said. “This is a cost-benefit analysis of a small number of hobbyists using this chemical to cure meat at home versus these growing numbers of young people, including teenagers, using it to kill themselves. For me, it’s an easy calculation.”

In the United Kingdom, coroners for nearly two years have been highlighting suicides involving online purchases of the preservative and asking the government to take action. A cross-government group is working with businesses — including manufacturers and online suppliers of the preservative — to reduce access and end some sales to individuals, according to a spokesperson for the government’s Department of Health and Social Care. The United Kingdom already requires sellers to inform law enforcement officials of any suspicious purchases of the compound, although it is unclear how often such reports are made.

Some businesses have gone further.

Metalchem, a British vendor, stopped selling the compound to the public in April 2020 after learning that it had been used for suicide. Mike Keay, the company’s CEO, also notified an English coroner that he had asked other businesses to stop selling the compound online “when the reason for the purchase cannot be reasonably ascertained.”

“Sadly, nearly two years later and the preservative is still available online, even on Amazon, with worldwide shipping,” Keay wrote in an email to The Times this week.

In the United States, Amazon continued to receive complaints about its sales of the compound — including, in May 2020, from someone whose father had just used it to die; in October 2020, from the grieving mother of an 18-year-old who had killed himself; and last year from Ruth Scott of Schertz, Texas, who is suing the company.

Her 27-year-old son, Mikael, who had struggled with depression, learned about the compound on the suicide website and bought it on Amazon. He killed himself in December 2020.

Ruth Scott said she had reached out five times to inform Amazon, only to hit brick walls. A customer service representative wrote to her that her message would be passed along.

“I am sorry for your loss,” said the email, which was reviewed by The Times. “But at least your son is now on our God’s hand.”

After Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer for Scott wrote to Amazon’s general counsel and implored the company to remove the product from its platform, lawyers for Amazon pointed out a Texas law and court decisions protecting the seller of a legal product used in a suicide.

“They know it’s killing people,” Scott said. “They are fully aware. They just don’t care.

The pleas to Amazon were explicit. A food preservative sold by the online retailer and other e-commerce sites was being used as a poison to die by suicide. “Please stop selling this product,” began one review, posted on Amazon in July 2019 by a person who wrote that a niece had used it to kill herself.

The pleas to Amazon were explicit. A food preservative sold by the online retailer and other e-commerce sites was being used as a poison to die by suicide. “Please stop selling this product,” began one review, posted on Amazon in July 2019 by a person who wrote that a niece had used it to kill herself. “I’ve already notified Amazon and they said they would help with this but they have not.” Since then, suicides linked to sales of the preservative through Amazon have continued. The New York Times identified 10 people who had killed themselves using the chemical compound after buying it through the site in the past two years, including a 16-year-old girl in Ohio, a pair of college freshmen in Pennsylvania and Missouri, and a 27-year-old in Texas whose mother has filed a wrongful death suit against Amazon. Enough people purchased the preservative to attempt suicide that the company’s algorithm began suggesting other products that customers frequently bought along with it to aid in such efforts. But when family members left behind and others alerted Amazon to the deaths and to the danger of the sales, the company declined to act. Now, members of Congress are demanding answers. In a letter sent last week to Andy Jassy, Amazon’s president and CEO, a bipartisan group of House members sought an accounting of the company’s sales of the preservative and related suicides, details on how the retailer had addressed the dangers, and an explanation of how it had responded to complaints. The move comes just weeks after publication of a Times investigation that linked a website, which provides explicit instructions on suicide, to a long trail of deaths. Most were from the chemical compound, sold legally in many countries. Site members advised one another on where to buy it and how to use it. Many of those who died — the Times has identified more than 50 people — were under 25; some were minors. In response to the article, members of Congress have sought briefings from Google and other tech companies that help make the suicide site accessible, and have asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to consider ways to prosecute its operators. In their letter to Amazon, seven House lawmakers pressed the company, saying that the ease and swiftness with which vulnerable people could buy the compound, called sodium nitrite, was a “grave concern.” The lawmakers are targeting Amazon for questioning because they believe it to be the e-commerce site most often used to buy the compound and get it quickly delivered, and because of claims by parents and others that product reviews on Amazon warning about the danger were removed, said Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In a written response to the lawmakers on Thursday, Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president for public policy, extended condolences to families of the dead while defending Amazon’s practices and sales of the compound. He said it was used for a range of purposes and was available from other retailers. “Amazon makes a wide selection of products available to our customers because we trust that they will use those products as intended by the manufacturers,” he wrote. “Like many widely-available consumer products,” he added, the compound “can unfortunately be misused.” The lawmakers found the company’s answers insufficient. “Amazon had the opportunity with their response to collaborate with us on this issue that’s tragically ending the lives of people across our nation,” Trahan said. “Instead, they failed to answer many of our most critical questions” In email exchanges with the Times, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the 10 deaths that the Times identified. Other sites said they had restricted sales of the compound. Last year, an eBay director wrote to a coroner in England that the company had prohibited global sales of the compound in 2019 after receiving a report of its potential use in suicides. However, the Times identified eight suicides involving eBay sales of the poison since then, including a death the coroner was reviewing. eBay did not respond to detailed emails and messages seeking comment. But in the letter to the coroner, the eBay director acknowledged that despite the ban, it was possible for “unscrupulous or unaware sellers to circumvent our policies and filters.” He wrote that the company would support government restrictions on online sales of the chemical to prevent suicides. In November 2020, Etsy banned sales of the compound, said a spokesperson, who declined to explain why. An Etsy customer posted in May 2018 that he was planning to use his purchase to kill himself. In August 2020, a 35-year-old in Mississippi wrote on the suicide site that he had bought the compound on the site. Days later, he was dead. The United States is among many countries that allow the chemical compound to be sold as a food preservative, and the federal Food and Drug Administration regulates its use for that purpose. There is no systematic tracking of suicides involving the compound, but the Times identified dozens of people who had used it since 2018 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia. More than 300 members of the suicide website had announced intentions to use the compound to kill themselves. A study of 47 cases of poisoning by the preservative reported to the National Poison Data System over a five-year period found that suicide attempts with it had been increasing since 2017. A 2020 article in the Journal of Emergency Medicine warned that because the compound “is readily accessible through online vendors, and is being circulated through various suicide forums,” emergency rooms might see more patients who have used it. Dr. Kyle Pires, a resident emergency room physician at Yale University Hospital who treated a 28-year-old woman who had bought the compound on Amazon, wrote in the journal Clinical Toxicology about her death and the recent rise in suicides by this method. The article, published last May, said policymakers should be aware of the preservative’s use in suicides and encouraged emergency rooms to stock doses of an antidote, methylene blue, that can prevent death if administered early. Pires said businesses should be able to buy the preservative, but sales to individuals should be banned. “There’s an argument that it’s a slippery slope to restrict sales of something that is legal just because some people are using it to kill themselves,” Pires said. “This is a cost-benefit analysis of a small number of hobbyists using this chemical to cure meat at home versus these growing numbers of young people, including teenagers, using it to kill themselves. For me, it’s an easy calculation.” In the United Kingdom, coroners for nearly two years have been highlighting suicides involving online purchases of the preservative and asking the government to take action. A cross-government group is working with businesses — including manufacturers and online suppliers of the preservative — to reduce access and end some sales to individuals, according to a spokesperson for the government’s Department of Health and Social Care. The United Kingdom already requires sellers to inform law enforcement officials of any suspicious purchases of the compound, although it is unclear how often such reports are made. Some businesses have gone further. Metalchem, a British vendor, stopped selling the compound to the public in April 2020 after learning that it had been used for suicide. Mike Keay, the company’s CEO, also notified an English coroner that he had asked other businesses to stop selling the compound online “when the reason for the purchase cannot be reasonably ascertained.” “Sadly, nearly two years later and the preservative is still available online, even on Amazon, with worldwide shipping,” Keay wrote in an email to The Times this week. In the United States, Amazon continued to receive complaints about its sales of the compound — including, in May 2020, from someone whose father had just used it to die; in October 2020, from the grieving mother of an 18-year-old who had killed himself; and last year from Ruth Scott of Schertz, Texas, who is suing the company. Her 27-year-old son, Mikael, who had struggled with depression, learned about the compound on the suicide website and bought it on Amazon. He killed himself in December 2020. Ruth Scott said she had reached out five times to inform Amazon, only to hit brick walls. A customer service representative wrote to her that her message would be passed along. “I am sorry for your loss,” said the email, which was reviewed by The Times. “But at least your son is now on our God’s hand.” After Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer for Scott wrote to Amazon’s general counsel and implored the company to remove the product from its platform, lawyers for Amazon pointed out a Texas law and court decisions protecting the seller of a legal product used in a suicide. “They know it’s killing people,” Scott said. “They are fully aware. They just don’t care.

Lawmakers press Amazon on sales of chemical used in suicides

The cause of Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst's death has been confirmed following an autopsy on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
According to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the former beauty queen died by suicide. She was 30 years old.&nbsp; 
 
Cheslie's family remembered her for inspiring others "around the world with her beauty and strength," in a official statement.&nbsp; 
 
"Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on 'Extra'. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague – we know her impact will live on," they added.

Cheslie was an attorney with an MBA and was crowned Miss USA in 2019. She went on to finish in the top 10 of the Miss Universe 2019 pageant.&nbsp; 
 
That year, she and three other women — Nia Imani Franklin (Miss America) Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA) and Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe) — became the first group of Black women in pageant history to hold all four major titles in a single year. 
 
Following the news of her death, the Miss Universe organization remembered Cheslie for her "kind" spirit. 
 
"The Miss Universe and Miss USA Organizations are devastated to learn about the loss of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst," they wrote in a statement. "She was one of the brightest, warmest, and most kind people we have ever had the privilege of knowing, and she lit up every room she entered. Our entire community mourns her loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time."&nbsp;

The cause of Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst's death has been confirmed following an autopsy on Monday. According to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the former beauty queen died by suicide.

The cause of Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst's death has been confirmed following an autopsy on Monday. According to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the former beauty queen died by suicide. She was 30 years old. Cheslie's family remembered her for inspiring others "around the world with her beauty and strength," in a official statement. "Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on 'Extra'. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague – we know her impact will live on," they added. Cheslie was an attorney with an MBA and was crowned Miss USA in 2019. She went on to finish in the top 10 of the Miss Universe 2019 pageant. That year, she and three other women — Nia Imani Franklin (Miss America) Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA) and Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe) — became the first group of Black women in pageant history to hold all four major titles in a single year. Following the news of her death, the Miss Universe organization remembered Cheslie for her "kind" spirit. "The Miss Universe and Miss USA Organizations are devastated to learn about the loss of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst," they wrote in a statement. "She was one of the brightest, warmest, and most kind people we have ever had the privilege of knowing, and she lit up every room she entered. Our entire community mourns her loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time."

Police reveal Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst's cause of death 

According to reports, 163 members of the US military have committed suicide in the third quarter of 2021 which represents a greater total than the number of service members who have died from the COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Reports: US soldiers dying more of suicide than COVID-19

A song by US rapper Logic has helped in saving hundreds of lives&nbsp;as it has increased the number of calls made to a suicide prevention helpline and it has also reduced the number of suicides. This was done as the rapper referenced&nbsp;the name of the suicide prevention helpline in his song.&nbsp;

The hit soundtrack titled “1-800-273-8255” garnered lots of public attention.&nbsp;

As per a research published in the British Medical Journal, after the release of this song, a total of 9,915 calls were recorded in a time period of 34 days. This is a 6.9 per cent increase from the expected number. Also, there have been pieces of evidence that show a reduction in the number of suicides.

The song which features Alessia Cara and Khalid managed to remain in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 US music charts for a couple of weeks. Also, it has managed to gather over 430 million views on YouTube. &nbsp;

Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, an associate professor at the Medical University of Vienna and lead author of the study said, "We thought that the song might indeed encourage help-seeking and help prevent suicide, because findings from experimental studies suggest that these types of stories of hope and recovery can be very helpful."

The study further concluded that the song led to 245 lesser suicides than expected.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A song by US rapper Logic has helped in saving hundreds of lives as it has increased the number of calls made to a suicide prevention helpline and it has also reduced the number of suicides.

A song by US rapper Logic has helped in saving hundreds of lives as it has increased the number of calls made to a suicide prevention helpline and it has also reduced the number of suicides. This was done as the rapper referenced the name of the suicide prevention helpline in his song. The hit soundtrack titled “1-800-273-8255” garnered lots of public attention. As per a research published in the British Medical Journal, after the release of this song, a total of 9,915 calls were recorded in a time period of 34 days. This is a 6.9 per cent increase from the expected number. Also, there have been pieces of evidence that show a reduction in the number of suicides. The song which features Alessia Cara and Khalid managed to remain in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 US music charts for a couple of weeks. Also, it has managed to gather over 430 million views on YouTube. Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, an associate professor at the Medical University of Vienna and lead author of the study said, "We thought that the song might indeed encourage help-seeking and help prevent suicide, because findings from experimental studies suggest that these types of stories of hope and recovery can be very helpful." The study further concluded that the song led to 245 lesser suicides than expected. (With inputs from agencies)

This is how a US rapper's song helped in saving hundreds of lives

Switzerland has legalised a 'Suicide Machine'. The device promises a 'painless death' within a minute. Assisted Suicide has been legal in the country since 1942. The 'Sarco Pod' is aimed at making the process easier. Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: This 'Suicide Pod' ensures 'painless death' in a minute

Switzerland has legalised a 'Suicide Machine'. The device promises a 'painless death' within a minute. Assisted Suicide has been legal in the country since 1942, the 'Sarco Pod' is aimed at making the process easier.

Switzerland: 'Sarco Pod'- A device to make suicide 'painless'

In 2020, more Indians died of suicide than the Wuhan Virus. Data shows family problems were the leading cause of suicide. Daily wage earners and housewives made up the largest share of total suicides. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: More Indians died of suicide than of Covid-19 in 2020

A suicide bomber targeted a military hospital in Kabul today. The attack bears hallmarks of ISIS-K. Since late August, ISIS-K has killed at least 346 civilians. Palki Sharma tells you how terrorist groups are escalating their activities in Taliban's Afghanistan.

Gravitas: Another suicide bombing rocks Kabul

In a provocative gesture, the Taliban has rewarded plots, cash to the relatives of suicide bombers who attacked the US and Afghan soldiers. The Taliban's acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, called them "heroes of Islam and the country".

Afghanistan Crisis: Sirajuddin Haqqani hails suicide bombers as 'Heroes'

"Enter and cry," reads one sign. "I too have anxiety," glows another notice in pink. One corner has phones with the names of psychologists and other people you can call when you're feeling down.

This is the Crying Room, or La Lloreria, a place where you can freely express your sorrow. Located in central Madrid, the project seeks to eliminate social stigmas associated with mental health, crying, and seeking help. Anyone can drop in.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suicide-is-still-a-crime-in-at-least-20-countries-worldwide-research-411901">Suicide is still a crime in at least 20 countries worldwide: Research</a>

Jon Nelssom, a Swedish student based in Madrid, says that he thinks it's a great idea to visualize mental health issues.&nbsp;

As he noted, the name 'The Crying Room' is a brilliant idea since, in Spain, there's a saying that goes "if you want to cry, go to the crying room". Therefore, people are kind of stigmatized to cry as in many other countries.

Martyna Dluzniewska, Head of marketing at therapy chat, explained that the idea of 'La Lloreria' did come&nbsp;from the Spanish phrase that is said when people don't want to worry about other people's problems.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-pandemic-took-hold-suicide-rose-among-japanese-women-365653">As pandemic took hold, suicide rose among Japanese women</a>

"They say "a llorar a la lloreria" (go and cry in the crying room), you take your feelings to your corner and don't talk about them. This is exactly what we want to destigmatize, that yes, you can talk about your feelings, that if you are not well you can be so, if you need to stop, stop and if you need to put yourself first do so. And of course, if you need help, ask for it."

A week ago, Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, also announced a 100-million-euro or $116 million, mental health care program, which will include services like a 24-hour suicide helpline.

"It is not a taboo, it is a public health problem that we must talk about, make visible and act accordingly," he said about mental illness as he launched the plan on Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/teen-girls-complain-of-tics-experts-link-it-to-depression-tiktok-videos-421497">Teen girls complain of tics; experts link it to depression &amp; TikTok videos</a>

Spain's 2021-2024 Mental Health and COVID-19 Action Plan, which will have 100 million euros allocated from the Government of Spain, is, according to a press release being implemented "in response to the emergency caused by the impact of the COVID pandemic on Mental Health and in response to the Opinion of the Reconstruction Commission".&nbsp;

In 2019, 3,671 people in Spain committed suicide, the second most frequent cause of death after natural causes. According to government data, one in ten adolescents has a mental health condition, while 5.8 per cent of the overall population suffers from anxiety.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a&nbsp;professional.&nbsp;Aasra&nbsp;(Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726,&nbsp;Sneha&nbsp;(Chennai) 044-24640050,&nbsp;Sumaitri&nbsp;(Delhi) 011-23389090,&nbsp;Cooj&nbsp;(Goa) 0832- 2252525,&nbsp;Jeevan&nbsp;(Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830,&nbsp;Maithri&nbsp;(Kochi) 0484-2540530,&nbsp;Roshni&nbsp;(Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata),&nbsp;Parivarthan&nbsp;(Bangalore) +91 76766 02602

 
WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations

"Enter and cry," reads one sign. "I too have anxiety," glows another notice in pink. One corner has phones with the names of psychologists and other people you can call when you're feeling down.

"Enter and cry," reads one sign. "I too have anxiety," glows another notice in pink. One corner has phones with the names of psychologists and other people you can call when you're feeling down. This is the Crying Room, or La Lloreria, a place where you can freely express your sorrow. Located in central Madrid, the project seeks to eliminate social stigmas associated with mental health, crying, and seeking help. Anyone can drop in. Also read | Suicide is still a crime in at least 20 countries worldwide: Research Jon Nelssom, a Swedish student based in Madrid, says that he thinks it's a great idea to visualize mental health issues. As he noted, the name 'The Crying Room' is a brilliant idea since, in Spain, there's a saying that goes "if you want to cry, go to the crying room". Therefore, people are kind of stigmatized to cry as in many other countries. Martyna Dluzniewska, Head of marketing at therapy chat, explained that the idea of 'La Lloreria' did come from the Spanish phrase that is said when people don't want to worry about other people's problems. Also read | As pandemic took hold, suicide rose among Japanese women "They say "a llorar a la lloreria" (go and cry in the crying room), you take your feelings to your corner and don't talk about them. This is exactly what we want to destigmatize, that yes, you can talk about your feelings, that if you are not well you can be so, if you need to stop, stop and if you need to put yourself first do so. And of course, if you need help, ask for it." A week ago, Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, also announced a 100-million-euro or $116 million, mental health care program, which will include services like a 24-hour suicide helpline. "It is not a taboo, it is a public health problem that we must talk about, make visible and act accordingly," he said about mental illness as he launched the plan on Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day. Also read | Teen girls complain of tics; experts link it to depression & TikTok videos Spain's 2021-2024 Mental Health and COVID-19 Action Plan, which will have 100 million euros allocated from the Government of Spain, is, according to a press release being implemented "in response to the emergency caused by the impact of the COVID pandemic on Mental Health and in response to the Opinion of the Reconstruction Commission". In 2019, 3,671 people in Spain committed suicide, the second most frequent cause of death after natural causes. According to government data, one in ten adolescents has a mental health condition, while 5.8 per cent of the overall population suffers from anxiety. (With inputs from agencies) If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602 WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations

'Enter and cry': Spain's crying room aims to break stigma attached to crying and mental health problems

Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country's education ministry.

As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey.

The number is up by nearly 100 from last year, the highest since record-keeping began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday.

Suicide has a long history in Japan as a way of avoiding perceived shame or dishonour, and its suicide rate has long been the highest in the Group of Seven nations, but a national effort has reduced numbers by roughly 40% over 15 years, including ten years of decline beginning in 2009.

Amid the pandemic, suicides increased in 2020 after a decade of declines, with the number of women committing suicide surging amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although fewer men took their own lives.

The education ministry said a record high of more than 196,127 school children were absent for 30 days or more, media reported.

The results showed that changes in school and household environments due to the pandemic have had a huge impact on children's behaviour, NHK quoted an education ministry official as saying.

Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country's education ministry. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey.

Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country's education ministry. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey. The number is up by nearly 100 from last year, the highest since record-keeping began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday. Suicide has a long history in Japan as a way of avoiding perceived shame or dishonour, and its suicide rate has long been the highest in the Group of Seven nations, but a national effort has reduced numbers by roughly 40% over 15 years, including ten years of decline beginning in 2009. Amid the pandemic, suicides increased in 2020 after a decade of declines, with the number of women committing suicide surging amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although fewer men took their own lives. The education ministry said a record high of more than 196,127 school children were absent for 30 days or more, media reported. The results showed that changes in school and household environments due to the pandemic have had a huge impact on children's behaviour, NHK quoted an education ministry official as saying.

Suicides among children in Japan at record high during pandemic: Report

Even in the 21st century when mental health is an important topic of conversation in almost all circles, suicide is still considered to be a punishable crime in 20 countries.<o:p></o:p>

Research has revealed that at least 20 countries consider suicide a crime which is punishable in form of three years of prison and financial fine of thousands of pounds.<o:p></o:p>

Several countries can legally prosecute children for attempted suicide. Many countries in this list have made suicide punishable under the Sharia Law. In Nigeria, even children of the age of seven can be arrested and prosecuted for suicide.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-women-under-the-age-of-25-to-be-given-free-contraception-government-411894">French women under the age of 25 to be given free contraception: Government</a></o:p>

"Criminalisation of suicide is counterproductive, it does not deter people from taking their own lives," said Sarah Kline, co-founder of United for Global Mental&nbsp;Health.&nbsp;"It does deter people from seeking help in a moment of acute crisis and it can prevent people receiving the support they need for their mental health."<o:p></o:p>

A suicide survivor from Pakistan also came forward to report the harshness she had received from local police. "I felt guilty and stupid for attempting suicide," she was quoted by the Guardian. "Plus what made it worse was the way the police dealt with it. They humiliated my dad just so they could get money out of him. [The police officer’s] words were: 'Either your daughter is going to jail or you are.'"<o:p></o:p>

Experts believe that if such measures continue people suffering from mental health issues will become more hesitant in opening up about their problems and will not seek help. Due to the same fear, the Cayman Islands decriminalsied suicide in December 2020. The decision was taken after a campaign revealed that only five per cent of children and young people were seeking help, due to the fear of getting penalised.<o:p></o:p>

The study has revealed that more people having been dying as a result of suicide in comparison to Malaria, breast cancer or HIV.

<o:p></o:p>

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602

WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations.

Even in the 21st century when mental health is an important topic of conversation in almost all circles, suicide is still considered to be a punishable crime in 20 countries.

Even in the 21st century when mental health is an important topic of conversation in almost all circles, suicide is still considered to be a punishable crime in 20 countries. Research has revealed that at least 20 countries consider suicide a crime which is punishable in form of three years of prison and financial fine of thousands of pounds. Several countries can legally prosecute children for attempted suicide. Many countries in this list have made suicide punishable under the Sharia Law. In Nigeria, even children of the age of seven can be arrested and prosecuted for suicide. Also read | French women under the age of 25 to be given free contraception: Government "Criminalisation of suicide is counterproductive, it does not deter people from taking their own lives," said Sarah Kline, co-founder of United for Global Mental Health. "It does deter people from seeking help in a moment of acute crisis and it can prevent people receiving the support they need for their mental health." A suicide survivor from Pakistan also came forward to report the harshness she had received from local police. "I felt guilty and stupid for attempting suicide," she was quoted by the Guardian. "Plus what made it worse was the way the police dealt with it. They humiliated my dad just so they could get money out of him. [The police officer’s] words were: 'Either your daughter is going to jail or you are.'" Experts believe that if such measures continue people suffering from mental health issues will become more hesitant in opening up about their problems and will not seek help. Due to the same fear, the Cayman Islands decriminalsied suicide in December 2020. The decision was taken after a campaign revealed that only five per cent of children and young people were seeking help, due to the fear of getting penalised. The study has revealed that more people having been dying as a result of suicide in comparison to Malaria, breast cancer or HIV. If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602 WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations.

Suicide is still a crime in at least 20 countries worldwide: Research

The Taliban displayed suicide vests and bombs during a weapons parade. Footage also showed its fighters doing combat displays as the group celebrates its victory in Afghanistan.

Broadcasted on Afghanistan state television, the parade saw devices including explosive suicide vests, IEDs and car bombs being pulled behind trucks.&nbsp;

Video footage of the weapons procession saw a group of fighters marching with the Islamic Emirate's flag. This was before various vehicles towing US-made weapons and bombs followed them.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tal!ban’s Republic Day Parade 
 
Proudly displaying suic!de vests, which the narrator boasts are a key weapon in the country’s arsenal.😭😭😭 
 
<a href="https://t.co/BrviEIM7tf">pic.twitter.com/BrviEIM7tf</a>
— 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞 (@archersaggi) <a href="https://twitter.com/archersaggi/status/1433636502429339654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also, various types of bombs were paraded past onlookers on flatbeds behind cars and trucks.

There were labels clarifying what each weapon was.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-co-founder-mullah-abdul-ghani-baradar-to-lead-new-afghan-government-sources-410403">Also read |&nbsp;Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to lead new Afghan government: Sources</a>

The 40-minute procession appeared to have taken place in front of Taliban leaders.&nbsp;

They sat watching from a makeshift stand opposite the weapons display.

It is understood that the footage, which is believed to have been a 'celebration' of the Taliban's military, was filmed in Kandahar.

It comes as the Taliban released a bizarre propaganda video that saw jihadi fighters practising various martial arts moves and combat displays.

The Taliban displayed suicide vests and bombs during a weapons parade. Footage also showed its fighters doing combat displays as the group celebrates its victory in Afghanistan.

The Taliban displayed suicide vests and bombs during a weapons parade. Footage also showed its fighters doing combat displays as the group celebrates its victory in Afghanistan. Broadcasted on Afghanistan state television, the parade saw devices including explosive suicide vests, IEDs and car bombs being pulled behind trucks. Video footage of the weapons procession saw a group of fighters marching with the Islamic Emirate's flag. This was before various vehicles towing US-made weapons and bombs followed them. Tal!ban’s Republic Day Parade Proudly displaying suic!de vests, which the narrator boasts are a key weapon in the country’s arsenal.😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/BrviEIM7tf — 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞 (@archersaggi) September 3, 2021 × Also, various types of bombs were paraded past onlookers on flatbeds behind cars and trucks. There were labels clarifying what each weapon was. Also read | Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to lead new Afghan government: Sources The 40-minute procession appeared to have taken place in front of Taliban leaders. They sat watching from a makeshift stand opposite the weapons display. It is understood that the footage, which is believed to have been a 'celebration' of the Taliban's military, was filmed in Kandahar. It comes as the Taliban released a bizarre propaganda video that saw jihadi fighters practising various martial arts moves and combat displays.

Taliban display suicide vests and IEDs in weapon parade

Two DC police officers who responded to the US Capitol insurrection have died by suicide. With this a total of four officers who guarded the building on that day have died by suicide.

Two DC police officers who responded to US Capitol insurrection die by suicide

A Chinese poet and current affairs commentator has committed suicide in Guangdong province following "unbearable" surveillance under the tenure of President Xi Jinping.

Li Huizhi, 62, was a vocal critic of Xi Jinping's policies. He breathed his last in a hospital in Guangdong's Huizhou city, Radio Free Asia reported.

His friend Li Xuewen told RFA that the poet had posted a suicide note online before taking his own life.

"After he had posted his suicide note online, he turned off his phone," Li Xuewen said. "He took the pesticide, and was taken to hospital after that."

The note suggested that Li had found the increased surveillance under the tenure of ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Xi Jinping unbearable.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-concern-over-china-nukes-buildup-after-new-silos-report-401052">Also read |&nbsp;US concern over China nukes buildup after new silos report</a>

There has been less and less room for freedom of public expression since Xi Jinping took power, the letter said.

Li himself had been made a "ministry-level" stability maintenance target during the 2019 National People's Congress (NPC) meetings in Beijing.

According to RFA, Li's phone was monitored and he had to report to the state security police if he wanted to make a trip out of town, the letter said.

Li had also suffered a stroke in March 2021, after which his mobility had been greatly affected, it said.

"He was forced to use a wheelchair after the stroke, and suffered from paralysis in his right arm," Li Xuewen told RFA. "It really did a lot of damage ... he wasn't able to write properly."

"But he learned pretty quickly how to type with his left hand and carried on writing articles."

The letter said Li had made repeated requests for the authorities to call off their surveillance teams, but to no avail.

A Chinese poet and current affairs commentator has committed suicide in Guangdong province following "unbearable" surveillance under the tenure of President Xi Jinping.

A Chinese poet and current affairs commentator has committed suicide in Guangdong province following "unbearable" surveillance under the tenure of President Xi Jinping. Li Huizhi, 62, was a vocal critic of Xi Jinping's policies. He breathed his last in a hospital in Guangdong's Huizhou city, Radio Free Asia reported. His friend Li Xuewen told RFA that the poet had posted a suicide note online before taking his own life. "After he had posted his suicide note online, he turned off his phone," Li Xuewen said. "He took the pesticide, and was taken to hospital after that." The note suggested that Li had found the increased surveillance under the tenure of ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Xi Jinping unbearable. Also read | US concern over China nukes buildup after new silos report There has been less and less room for freedom of public expression since Xi Jinping took power, the letter said. Li himself had been made a "ministry-level" stability maintenance target during the 2019 National People's Congress (NPC) meetings in Beijing. According to RFA, Li's phone was monitored and he had to report to the state security police if he wanted to make a trip out of town, the letter said. Li had also suffered a stroke in March 2021, after which his mobility had been greatly affected, it said. "He was forced to use a wheelchair after the stroke, and suffered from paralysis in his right arm," Li Xuewen told RFA. "It really did a lot of damage ... he wasn't able to write properly." "But he learned pretty quickly how to type with his left hand and carried on writing articles." The letter said Li had made repeated requests for the authorities to call off their surveillance teams, but to no avail.

Chinese poet committed suicide under 'unbearable' surveillance by the CCP

A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens in a crowded market in the Sadr City neighbourhood of Baghdad on Monday, the eve of the Eid al-Adha festival, security and hospital sources said. 
 
More than 60 people were wounded, a police source said. 
 
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's Nasheer news agency said on Telegram. It said one of its militants blew up his explosive vest among the crowds. 
 
Hospital sources said the death toll could rise as some of the wounded were in critical condition. 
 
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held an urgent meeting with top security commanders to discuss the attack, the premier's office said in a brief statement. 
 
President Barham Salih posted a tweet saying: "With an awful crime they target civilians in Sadr city on the eve of Eid ... We will not rest before terrorism is cut off by its roots." 
 
In April, the Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on a market in Sadr City, Baghdad's main Shi'ite Muslim neighbourhood, that killed four people and wounded 20. 
 
Islamic State also claimed responsibility for a bomb attack last January that killed more than 30 in the crowded Tayaran Square market in central Baghdad - Iraq's first big suicide bombing for three years. 
 
Large bomb attacks were once an almost daily occurrence in the Iraqi capital but have dwindled since an Islamic State invasion of northern and western Iraq was defeated in 2017.

A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens in a crowded market in the Sadr City neighbourhood of Baghdad on Monday, the eve of the Eid al-Adha festival, security and hospital sources said.

A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens in a crowded market in the Sadr City neighbourhood of Baghdad on Monday, the eve of the Eid al-Adha festival, security and hospital sources said. More than 60 people were wounded, a police source said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's Nasheer news agency said on Telegram. It said one of its militants blew up his explosive vest among the crowds. Hospital sources said the death toll could rise as some of the wounded were in critical condition. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held an urgent meeting with top security commanders to discuss the attack, the premier's office said in a brief statement. President Barham Salih posted a tweet saying: "With an awful crime they target civilians in Sadr city on the eve of Eid ... We will not rest before terrorism is cut off by its roots." In April, the Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on a market in Sadr City, Baghdad's main Shi'ite Muslim neighbourhood, that killed four people and wounded 20. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for a bomb attack last January that killed more than 30 in the crowded Tayaran Square market in central Baghdad - Iraq's first big suicide bombing for three years. Large bomb attacks were once an almost daily occurrence in the Iraqi capital but have dwindled since an Islamic State invasion of northern and western Iraq was defeated in 2017.

Suicide attack in Iraq's Sadr City kills at least 35, wounds dozens: Sources

Contrary to Janice McAfee’s belief, prison authorities have claimed that the tech genius, John McAfee, had attempted suicide earlier too in the prison.

Software mogul, John McAfee, was in a Spanish prison where, reportedly, his mental health was deteriorating due to which he tried taking his own life on February 28. He was put under suicide watch by prison authorities after the incident.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/wild-child-of-silicon-valley-the-rise-and-fall-of-john-mcafee-394249">Wild child of Silicon Valley: The rise and fall of John McAfee</a>

This claim by the prison authorities comes as McAfee’s lawyer, Javier Villalba, alleged that his client’s death was not a suicide as McAfee did not exhibit suicidal tendencies before his death.

Janice McAfee has also accused the US authorities for&nbsp;her husband’s death. She claims John McAfee called her and ended the call with 'I love you and I will call you in the evening', therefore leading her to believe that her husband did not plan to take his own life.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/antivirus-founder-john-mcafee-found-dead-in-spanish-prison-393577">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/antivirus-founder-john-mcafee-found-dead-in-spanish-prison-393577/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

She said she blames "the US authorities for this tragedy. Because of these politically motivated charges against him, my husband is now dead." She also claims that US authorities wanted him 'dead in prison to make an example out of him.'

The prison authorities have rubbished these reports and have claimed to have even found a suicide note from John McAfee. However, his wife has asked for a second, independent autopsy, her lawyer reports.

Contrary to Janice McAfee’s belief, prison authorities have claimed that the tech genius, John McAfee, had attempted suicide earlier too in the prison. Software mogul, John McAfee, was in a Spanish prison where, reportedly, his mental health was deteriorating due to which he tried taking his own life on February 28.

Contrary to Janice McAfee’s belief, prison authorities have claimed that the tech genius, John McAfee, had attempted suicide earlier too in the prison. Software mogul, John McAfee, was in a Spanish prison where, reportedly, his mental health was deteriorating due to which he tried taking his own life on February 28. He was put under suicide watch by prison authorities after the incident. Also read | Wild child of Silicon Valley: The rise and fall of John McAfee This claim by the prison authorities comes as McAfee’s lawyer, Javier Villalba, alleged that his client’s death was not a suicide as McAfee did not exhibit suicidal tendencies before his death. Janice McAfee has also accused the US authorities for her husband’s death. She claims John McAfee called her and ended the call with 'I love you and I will call you in the evening', therefore leading her to believe that her husband did not plan to take his own life. WATCH | She said she blames "the US authorities for this tragedy. Because of these politically motivated charges against him, my husband is now dead." She also claims that US authorities wanted him 'dead in prison to make an example out of him.' The prison authorities have rubbished these reports and have claimed to have even found a suicide note from John McAfee. However, his wife has asked for a second, independent autopsy, her lawyer reports.

John McAFee tried taking his own life earlier, prison authorities claim

Researchers from the Seoul Institute of Technology&nbsp;are using artificial intelligence to detect and prevent suicide attempts.

To do so,&nbsp;the AI system they are developing has been learning patterns of behaviour by analysing data from cameras, sensors, and the dispatch records of rescue services since April 2020.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-study-people-want-to-replace-lawmakers-with-ai-388128/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Based on information from hours of CCTV footage and assessing details such as the hesitation of the person, the AI can then forecast a hazardous situation and immediately alert rescue teams, principal researcher Kim Jun-chul said.

“We believe the new CCTV will enable our crews to detect the cases a bit faster and help us head to a call more promptly,” Kim Hyeong-gil, who is in charge of the Yeouido Water Rescue Brigade, told Reuters as he monitored real-time footage from bridges on Seoul's Han River.

Kim's team have been working with the researchers to come up with the technology that his crew and the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters will be piloting from October. Their work cannot come quickly enough.

South Korea, with a population of 52 million people in 2019, had the highest suicide rate in the OECD. More than 13,700 people took their own lives the same year, government data showed.

Nearly 500 suicide attempts are reported on 27 bridges over the nearly 500 km (300 miles) long Han River every year, the city said.

The number of rescue dispatches surged about 30 per cent&nbsp;in 2020 compared to the year before and many of the attempts were made by the people in their 20s and 30s as the coronavirus pandemic brought greater economic hardship and increased the battle for jobs, the rescue brigade's Kim said.

"The system learns the footage itself, which can bring about improved results by greatly reducing false alarms," the principal researcher said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers from the Seoul Institute of Technology are using artificial intelligence to detect and prevent suicide attempts. To do so, the AI system they are developing has been learning patterns of behaviour by analysing data from cameras, sensors, and the dispatch records of rescue services since April 2020.

Researchers from the Seoul Institute of Technology are using artificial intelligence to detect and prevent suicide attempts. To do so, the AI system they are developing has been learning patterns of behaviour by analysing data from cameras, sensors, and the dispatch records of rescue services since April 2020. Based on information from hours of CCTV footage and assessing details such as the hesitation of the person, the AI can then forecast a hazardous situation and immediately alert rescue teams, principal researcher Kim Jun-chul said. “We believe the new CCTV will enable our crews to detect the cases a bit faster and help us head to a call more promptly,” Kim Hyeong-gil, who is in charge of the Yeouido Water Rescue Brigade, told Reuters as he monitored real-time footage from bridges on Seoul's Han River. Kim's team have been working with the researchers to come up with the technology that his crew and the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters will be piloting from October. Their work cannot come quickly enough. South Korea, with a population of 52 million people in 2019, had the highest suicide rate in the OECD. More than 13,700 people took their own lives the same year, government data showed. Nearly 500 suicide attempts are reported on 27 bridges over the nearly 500 km (300 miles) long Han River every year, the city said. The number of rescue dispatches surged about 30 per cent in 2020 compared to the year before and many of the attempts were made by the people in their 20s and 30s as the coronavirus pandemic brought greater economic hardship and increased the battle for jobs, the rescue brigade's Kim said. "The system learns the footage itself, which can bring about improved results by greatly reducing false alarms," the principal researcher said. (With inputs from agencies)

AI to detect and prevent suicide attempts? Researchers make unique innovation

At a time when several nations are mulling over legalising marijuana use, a new study can make them give it another thought.

A new study from the US National Institutes of Health has found that cannabis is linked with a higher probability of youngsters thinking about suicide.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://wionews.com/science/emissions-from-cannabis-production-are-driving-temperatures-high-369330">Emissions from cannabis production are driving temperatures high</a>

The study published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Tuesday collected data of more than 281,000 people aged 18 to 34. These participants answered questions related to cannabis use or disorder, major depressive episodes and suicidality -- which include suicidal ideation, plans or attempts in the last year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://wionews.com/science/young-adults-vaping-cannabis-more-likely-to-get-bronchitis-says-study-352232">Young adults vaping cannabis more likely to get Bronchitis, says study</a>

Participants who have been unable to control cannabis use, used cannabis for a longer period than thought, and stopped important tasks because of cannabis, among others are kept under the category of cannabis use disorder.

In fact, people who claimed they didn't consume cannabis every day -- or fewer than 300 days per year -- "were more likely to have suicidal ideation and to plan or attempt suicide than those who did not use the drug at all," the researchers noted.

At a time when several nations are mulling over legalising marijuana use, a new study can make them give it another thought. A new study from the US National Institutes of Health has found that cannabis is linked with a higher probability of youngsters thinking about suicide.

At a time when several nations are mulling over legalising marijuana use, a new study can make them give it another thought. A new study from the US National Institutes of Health has found that cannabis is linked with a higher probability of youngsters thinking about suicide. Also read | Emissions from cannabis production are driving temperatures high The study published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Tuesday collected data of more than 281,000 people aged 18 to 34. These participants answered questions related to cannabis use or disorder, major depressive episodes and suicidality -- which include suicidal ideation, plans or attempts in the last year. Also read | Young adults vaping cannabis more likely to get Bronchitis, says study Participants who have been unable to control cannabis use, used cannabis for a longer period than thought, and stopped important tasks because of cannabis, among others are kept under the category of cannabis use disorder. In fact, people who claimed they didn't consume cannabis every day -- or fewer than 300 days per year -- "were more likely to have suicidal ideation and to plan or attempt suicide than those who did not use the drug at all," the researchers noted.

Cannabis use may be linked with suicidal thoughts in adults: Study

Toyota has apologised and vowed to tackle workplace harassment after settling with the family of an employee who killed himself following repeated abuse by his boss.

The 28-year-old engineer died by suicide in 2017, after being regularly abused by his boss, including reportedly being told: "It would be better if you died."

His death was recognised as work-related in 2019 by a regional labour board, according to local media, and a Toyota spokeswoman confirmed Monday that the firm reached an out-of-court settlement with the family in April.

In a statement issued Monday, the automaker expressed sorrow over the man's death and said it "takes seriously the fact that the precious life of one of our important employees has been lost".

"We are developing and carrying out preventative measures to ensure that such a painful episode is never again repeated," it added.

It said the measures would include an expansion of the company's counselling system and strict punishment for harassment at work.

The details of the settlement were not disclosed.

Toyota said the supervisor accused of harassment was "punished" but also did not give further information.

Yoshihide Tachino, a lawyer for the man's family, said Toyota president Akio Toyoda had visited them to apologise directly.

"We are still feeling pain in our hearts over what happened to our beloved son," the family said in a statement.

"Whenever we think about him, we wish desperately to be able to see him once again."

Tachino said Japan remained "notorious" for poor working conditions.

"We used to see a lot of cases of deaths from overwork, but the number of complaints about workplace harassment is now increasing," he told AFP.

He said the Toyota settlement was "symbolic" and could have knock-on effects because the automaker is such a well-known and important firm in Japan.

Japan has long had the highest suicide rate among the Group of Seven advanced countries -- though regionally South Korea registers higher figures.&nbsp;

Authorities ramped up efforts to tackle deaths from overwork following the 2015 suicide of a young employee at Japan's biggest advertising agency Dentsu, who regularly logged more than 100 hours of overtime a month.

Toyota has apologised and vowed to tackle workplace harassment after settling with the family of an employee who killed himself following repeated abuse by his boss.

Toyota has apologised and vowed to tackle workplace harassment after settling with the family of an employee who killed himself following repeated abuse by his boss. The 28-year-old engineer died by suicide in 2017, after being regularly abused by his boss, including reportedly being told: "It would be better if you died." His death was recognised as work-related in 2019 by a regional labour board, according to local media, and a Toyota spokeswoman confirmed Monday that the firm reached an out-of-court settlement with the family in April. In a statement issued Monday, the automaker expressed sorrow over the man's death and said it "takes seriously the fact that the precious life of one of our important employees has been lost". "We are developing and carrying out preventative measures to ensure that such a painful episode is never again repeated," it added. It said the measures would include an expansion of the company's counselling system and strict punishment for harassment at work. The details of the settlement were not disclosed. Toyota said the supervisor accused of harassment was "punished" but also did not give further information. Yoshihide Tachino, a lawyer for the man's family, said Toyota president Akio Toyoda had visited them to apologise directly. "We are still feeling pain in our hearts over what happened to our beloved son," the family said in a statement. "Whenever we think about him, we wish desperately to be able to see him once again." Tachino said Japan remained "notorious" for poor working conditions. "We used to see a lot of cases of deaths from overwork, but the number of complaints about workplace harassment is now increasing," he told AFP. He said the Toyota settlement was "symbolic" and could have knock-on effects because the automaker is such a well-known and important firm in Japan. Japan has long had the highest suicide rate among the Group of Seven advanced countries -- though regionally South Korea registers higher figures. Authorities ramped up efforts to tackle deaths from overwork following the 2015 suicide of a young employee at Japan's biggest advertising agency Dentsu, who regularly logged more than 100 hours of overtime a month.

Toyota apologises in settlement over harassment suicide

A study published in the Journal of General Psychology contended that Google searches in the United States related to violence against women saw a sharp rise during the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Shockingly, the search engine was used by a huge number of users to find answers to some horrifying questions.

Reportedly, the study contends that the phrases "How to control your woman" and “how to hit a woman so no one knows" were each googled 165 million times. Similarly problematic phrases such as "Help me, he won’t leave" was allegedly Googled over 1.2 billion times.

The phrase “I am going to kill her when she gets home” was searched 178 million times, an increase of 39 per cent compared to 2019.&nbsp;

It raises concerns about the wider public health costs of a pandemic that has already claimed more than 3 million lives.&nbsp;

The University of Otago study examines the growing volume of Google search queries related to male violence, despondency and insecurity, linking the terms to American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

“He beats me up all the time” had 320 million searches, an increase of 36 per cent.

“These queries gauge Maslow’s basic and psychological needs strata—care, comfort, safety, security, social belonging and esteem—and signal potential threat, harm and violence,” the research says.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A study published in the Journal of General Psychology contended that Google searches in the United States related to violence against women saw a sharp rise during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A study published in the Journal of General Psychology contended that Google searches in the United States related to violence against women saw a sharp rise during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shockingly, the search engine was used by a huge number of users to find answers to some horrifying questions. Reportedly, the study contends that the phrases "How to control your woman" and “how to hit a woman so no one knows" were each googled 165 million times. Similarly problematic phrases such as "Help me, he won’t leave" was allegedly Googled over 1.2 billion times. The phrase “I am going to kill her when she gets home” was searched 178 million times, an increase of 39 per cent compared to 2019. It raises concerns about the wider public health costs of a pandemic that has already claimed more than 3 million lives. The University of Otago study examines the growing volume of Google search queries related to male violence, despondency and insecurity, linking the terms to American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. “He beats me up all the time” had 320 million searches, an increase of 36 per cent. “These queries gauge Maslow’s basic and psychological needs strata—care, comfort, safety, security, social belonging and esteem—and signal potential threat, harm and violence,” the research says. (With inputs from agencies)

Google trends imply femicide: 'I am going to kill her' searched 178 million times in 2020

At least 31 Nigerian soldiers were killed when IS-aligned jihadists ambushed a military convoy escorting weapons and overran a base in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, military sources said on Monday.

Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the convoy with rocket-propelled grenades on Sunday in the town of Mainok outside the regional capital Maiduguri before storming the nearby base, the two sources said.

The attack was the deadliest this year against Nigeria's army which has been battling a decade-long jihadist insurgency in the region that has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Nigeria: Jihadist ambush kills 19 troops, says report">Nigeria: Jihadist ambush kills 19 troops, says report</a>

"We lost 31 soldiers, including their commander who was a lieutenant colonel, in the ambush by the terrorists," a military officer said about the attack which happened around 1100 GMT.

The convoy was transporting weapons to Maiduguri when it came under attack, said a second military source who gave a similar toll.

"The terrorists came in several trucks, including four MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) and engaged the convoy in a fierce battle," the second source said.

The militants overwhelmed soldiers, leading to the "colossal loss" of troops, he said.

"We lost a lot of men in very gruesome way."

The jihadists seized weapons and two MRAPs in the attack before overrunning and partially burning the base outside the town, the two sources said.

Mainok, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Maiduguri, has been repeatedly targeted by the jihadists.

ISWAP has frequently set up bogus checkpoints along the 120-km highway linking Maiduguri and Damaturu in neighbouring Yobe state on which Mainok lies, killing and abducting travellers.&nbsp;

ISWAP split from mainstream Boko Haram faction in 2016 and rose to become a dominant force in the northeast as Nigeria's conflict has spilt over borders into neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Around 2,000 residents of Geidam in neighbouring Yobe state fled their homes after a separate attack by ISWAP who invaded the town Friday, local officials said.

On Sunday residents fled, crossing to the other side of the river to escape militants who have been in control since they attacked the town.

"Our people are fleeing Geidam which is now under the control of the insurgents," Ali Koko Kachalla, Geidam's political administrator, said.

Late on Friday ISWAP jihadists took control of Geidam after a gunfight with troops, looting and burning stores in the town.

At least 11 civilians were killed in the fight after a projectile hit two adjoining homes, killing all occupants, according to residents.

The exodus was prompted by targeted killings of residents by the insurgents, according to fleeing residents.

"Everybody is running away because the insurgents have started killing people who are Christians and those with western education," resident Babagana Kyari said.

"So far they have killed two Christians and two Muslim school teachers. They went to their homes and slaughtered them," said another resident Ari Sanda.

The army issued a statement on Saturday, claiming to have taken back Geidam from the jihadists. But residents and local officials said militants were still around.

Since 2019, soldiers have closed up some smaller bases and moved into larger fortified garrisons known as "super camps" in an attempt to better resist militant attacks.&nbsp;

But critics say the "super camp" strategy has also allowed militants more freedom in rural areas and left travellers more vulnerable to kidnapping.

At least 31 Nigerian soldiers were killed when IS-aligned jihadists ambushed a military convoy escorting weapons and overran a base in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, military sources said on Monday.

At least 31 Nigerian soldiers were killed when IS-aligned jihadists ambushed a military convoy escorting weapons and overran a base in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, military sources said on Monday. Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the convoy with rocket-propelled grenades on Sunday in the town of Mainok outside the regional capital Maiduguri before storming the nearby base, the two sources said. The attack was the deadliest this year against Nigeria's army which has been battling a decade-long jihadist insurgency in the region that has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes. Also read: Nigeria: Jihadist ambush kills 19 troops, says report "We lost 31 soldiers, including their commander who was a lieutenant colonel, in the ambush by the terrorists," a military officer said about the attack which happened around 1100 GMT. The convoy was transporting weapons to Maiduguri when it came under attack, said a second military source who gave a similar toll. "The terrorists came in several trucks, including four MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) and engaged the convoy in a fierce battle," the second source said. The militants overwhelmed soldiers, leading to the "colossal loss" of troops, he said. "We lost a lot of men in very gruesome way." The jihadists seized weapons and two MRAPs in the attack before overrunning and partially burning the base outside the town, the two sources said. Mainok, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Maiduguri, has been repeatedly targeted by the jihadists. ISWAP has frequently set up bogus checkpoints along the 120-km highway linking Maiduguri and Damaturu in neighbouring Yobe state on which Mainok lies, killing and abducting travellers. ISWAP split from mainstream Boko Haram faction in 2016 and rose to become a dominant force in the northeast as Nigeria's conflict has spilt over borders into neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Around 2,000 residents of Geidam in neighbouring Yobe state fled their homes after a separate attack by ISWAP who invaded the town Friday, local officials said. On Sunday residents fled, crossing to the other side of the river to escape militants who have been in control since they attacked the town. "Our people are fleeing Geidam which is now under the control of the insurgents," Ali Koko Kachalla, Geidam's political administrator, said. Late on Friday ISWAP jihadists took control of Geidam after a gunfight with troops, looting and burning stores in the town. At least 11 civilians were killed in the fight after a projectile hit two adjoining homes, killing all occupants, according to residents. The exodus was prompted by targeted killings of residents by the insurgents, according to fleeing residents. "Everybody is running away because the insurgents have started killing people who are Christians and those with western education," resident Babagana Kyari said. "So far they have killed two Christians and two Muslim school teachers. They went to their homes and slaughtered them," said another resident Ari Sanda. The army issued a statement on Saturday, claiming to have taken back Geidam from the jihadists. But residents and local officials said militants were still around. Since 2019, soldiers have closed up some smaller bases and moved into larger fortified garrisons known as "super camps" in an attempt to better resist militant attacks. But critics say the "super camp" strategy has also allowed militants more freedom in rural areas and left travellers more vulnerable to kidnapping.

Jihadists kill 31 soldiers in northeast Nigeria

March 19 in history: From mass suicide in China to US' air strikes on Baghdad

Not long after Japan ramped up its fight against the coronavirus last spring, Nazuna Hashimoto started suffering panic attacks. The gym in Osaka where she worked as a personal trainer suspended operations, and her friends were staying home at the recommendation of the government.

Afraid to be alone, she would call her boyfriend of just a few months and ask him to come over. Even then, she was sometimes unable to stop crying. Her depression, which had been diagnosed earlier in the year, spiraled. “The world I was living in was already small,” she said. “But I felt it become smaller.”

By July, Hashimoto could see no way out, and she tried to kill herself. Her boyfriend found her, called an ambulance and saved her life. She is speaking out publicly about her experience now because she wants to remove the stigma associated with talking about mental health in Japan.

While the pandemic has been difficult for many in Japan, the pressures have been compounded for women. As in many countries, more women have lost their jobs. In Tokyo, the country’s largest metropolis, about 1 in 5 women live alone, and the exhortations to stay home and avoid visiting family have exacerbated feelings of isolation. Other women have struggled with the deep disparities in the division of housework and child care during the work-from-home era, or suffered from a rise in domestic violence and sexual assault.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-appoints-minister-of-loneliness-to-fight-pandemic-driven-isolation-364026">Japan appoints 'Minister of Loneliness' to fight pandemic-driven isolation</a>

The rising psychological and physical toll of the pandemic has been accompanied by a worrisome spike in suicide among women. In Japan, 6,976 women took their lives last year, nearly 15% more than in 2019. It was the first year-over-year increase in more than a decade.

Each suicide — and suicide attempt — represents an individual tragedy rooted in a complex constellation of reasons. But the increase among women, which extended across seven straight months last year, has concerned government officials and mental health experts who have worked to reduce what had been among the highest rates of suicide in the world. (While more men than women killed themselves last year, fewer men did so than in 2019. Overall, suicides increased by slightly less than 4%.)

The situation has reinforced long-standing challenges for Japan. Talking about mental health issues, or seeking help, is still difficult in a society that emphasizes stoicism.

The pandemic has also amplified the stresses in a culture that is grounded in social cohesion and relies on peer pressure to drive compliance with government requests to wear masks and practice good hygiene. Women, who are often designated as primary caregivers, at times fear public humiliation if they somehow fail to uphold these measures or get infected with the coronavirus.

“Women bear the burden of doing virus prevention,” said Yuki Nishimura, a director of the Japanese Association of Mental Health Services. “Women have to look after their families’ health, and they have to look after cleanliness and can get looked down upon if they are not doing it right.”

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/pandemic-raises-japan-suicide-rate-after-decade-of-decline-358517" hreflang="en">Pandemic raises Japan suicide rate after decade of decline</a>

In one widely publicized account, a 30-something woman who had been recuperating from the coronavirus at home killed herself. The Japanese media seized on her note expressing anguish over the possibility that she had infected others and caused them trouble, while experts questioned whether shame may have driven her to despair.

“Unfortunately the current tendency is to blame the victim,” said Michiko Ueda, an associate professor of political science at Waseda University in Tokyo who has researched suicide. Ueda found in surveys last year that 40% of respondents worried about social pressure if they contracted the virus.

“We don’t basically support you if you are not ‘one of us,’” said Ueda. “And if you have mental health issues you are not one of us.”

Experts have also worried that a succession of Japanese film and television stars who took their own lives last year may have spurred a string of copycat suicides. After Yuko Takeuchi, a popular, award-winning actress, took her life in late September, the number of women taking their own lives in the following month jumped by close to 90% compared to the previous year.

Shortly after Takeuchi’s death, Nao, 30, started writing a blog to chronicle her lifelong battles with depression and eating disorders. She wrote candidly about her suicide attempt three years earlier.

Also read|&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandemic-raises-japan-suicide-rate-after-decade-of-decline-358517" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/pandemic-raises-japan-suicide-rate-after-decade-of-decline-358517&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjLvbyH2__uAhWPxjgGHdJcC8s4ChAWMAN6BAgIEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw2EHco3uKQXqvTpqcnnhg43" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandemic-raises-japan-suicide-rate-after-decade-of-decline-358517" target="_blank">Pandemic raises Japan&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;rate after decade of decline</a>

Such openness about mental health struggles is still relatively rare in Japan. The celebrity suicides prompted Nao, whose family name has been withheld at her request to protect her privacy, to reflect on how she might have reacted if she had hit her emotional nadir during the pandemic.

“When you’re at home alone, you feel very isolated from society and that feeling is really painful,” she said. “Just imagining if I was in that situation right now, I think the suicide attempt would have happened a lot earlier, and probably I think I would have succeeded.”

Writing about her challenges, Nao, who is now married, said she wanted to help others who might be feeling desperate, particularly at a time when so many people are sequestered from friends and colleagues.

“Knowing someone went through or is going through something similar as you — and knowing that someone is seeking professional help for that and that it actually helped — would encourage people to do a similar thing,” said Nao, who said she wanted to help remove the taboos associated with mental illness in Japan.

Nao’s husband could see how much she struggled with the long working hours and brutal office culture at the consulting firm where they first met. Then when she quit, she felt adrift.

During the pandemic, women have suffered disproportionate job losses. They made up the bulk of employees within the industries most affected by infection control measures, including restaurants, bars and hotels.

About half of all working women hold part-time or contract jobs, and when business flatlined, companies cut those employees first. In the first nine months of last year, 1.44 million such workers lost their jobs, more than half of them women.

Although Nao quit her consulting job voluntarily to seek psychiatric treatment, she remembers feeling wracked with insecurity, no longer able to pay her rent. When she and her then-fiancé decided to accelerate their wedding plans, her father accused her of being selfish.

“I just felt like I lost everything,” she recalled.

Those feelings, she said, triggered the depression that led to her suicide attempt. After spending some time in a psychiatric hospital and continuing medication, her self-confidence improved. She found a four-day-a-week job working in the digital operation of a magazine group and is now able to manage the workload.

In the past, suicide rates in Japan have spiked during times of economic crisis, including after the burst of the property-based bubble in the 1990s and the global downturn in 2008.

During those periods, it was men who were most affected by job losses and who killed themselves at higher rates. Historically, suicides among men in Japan have outnumbered those among women by a factor of at least 2-1.

“They became more desperate after losing their jobs or fortunes,” said Testuya Matsubayashi, a professor of political science at Osaka University who specializes in social epidemiology.

Last year, Matsubayashi noted that in those Japanese prefectures with the highest unemployment rates, suicides among women under 40 rose the most. More than two-thirds of the women who killed themselves in 2020 were unemployed.

Among women under 40, suicides rose by close to 25%, and among adolescents, the number of high school girls taking their lives doubled last year.

In Hashimoto’s case, fears of financial dependence contributed to her sense of hopelessness.

Even when the gym where she worked as a personal trainer reopened, she did not feel emotionally stable enough to return. She then felt guilty about relying on her boyfriend, emotionally and financially.

She had met Nozomu Takeda, 23, who works in the construction industry, at the gym, where he was her training client. They had been dating only three months when she confided that her depression was becoming untenable.

Unable to afford therapy and suffering severe anxiety attacks, she said she identified with others who “felt very pushed into a corner.”

When she attempted suicide, all she could think about was freeing Takeda from the responsibility of taking care of her. “I wanted to take the burden off him,” she said.

Even those who have not lost jobs may have come under extra stress. Before the pandemic, working from home was extremely rare in Japan. Then women suddenly had to worry not only about pleasing their bosses from afar, but also about juggling new safety and hygiene protocols for their children, or protecting elderly parents who were more vulnerable to the virus.

The expectations to excel did not change, but their contact with friends and other support networks diminished.

“If they can’t get together with other people or share their stresses with other people, then it’s not really surprising” that they are feeling pressured or depressed, said Kumiko Nemoto, a professor of sociology at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.

Having survived her own suicide attempt, Hashimoto now wants to help others learn to talk through their emotional problems and connect them to professionals.

Takeda says he appreciates how Hashimoto speaks openly about her depression. “She is the type of person who really shares what she needs and what is wrong,” he said. “So it was very easy for me to support her because she vocalizes what she needs.”

Together, the couple developed an app, which they are calling Bloste (short for “blow off steam”), to match therapists with those seeking counseling. Hashimoto is trying to recruit both seasoned professionals and those at the start of their careers, who are more likely to charge affordable rates for young clients.

Eventually, she would like to train as a therapist herself, with a special focus on women.

“The country has mainly focused on moving women up the career ladder and their economic well-being,” Hashimoto said. “But I would like to emphasize women’s mental health.”

—

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). In Japan, contact TELL Lifeline at 03-5774-0992 or telljp.com/lifeline/, or go to the Japanese-language site inochinodenwa.org. You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

Not long after Japan ramped up its fight against the coronavirus last spring, Nazuna Hashimoto started suffering panic attacks. The gym in Osaka where she worked as a personal trainer suspended operations, and her friends were staying home at the recommendation of the government.

Not long after Japan ramped up its fight against the coronavirus last spring, Nazuna Hashimoto started suffering panic attacks. The gym in Osaka where she worked as a personal trainer suspended operations, and her friends were staying home at the recommendation of the government. Afraid to be alone, she would call her boyfriend of just a few months and ask him to come over. Even then, she was sometimes unable to stop crying. Her depression, which had been diagnosed earlier in the year, spiraled. “The world I was living in was already small,” she said. “But I felt it become smaller.” By July, Hashimoto could see no way out, and she tried to kill herself. Her boyfriend found her, called an ambulance and saved her life. She is speaking out publicly about her experience now because she wants to remove the stigma associated with talking about mental health in Japan. While the pandemic has been difficult for many in Japan, the pressures have been compounded for women. As in many countries, more women have lost their jobs. In Tokyo, the country’s largest metropolis, about 1 in 5 women live alone, and the exhortations to stay home and avoid visiting family have exacerbated feelings of isolation. Other women have struggled with the deep disparities in the division of housework and child care during the work-from-home era, or suffered from a rise in domestic violence and sexual assault. Also read| Japan appoints 'Minister of Loneliness' to fight pandemic-driven isolation The rising psychological and physical toll of the pandemic has been accompanied by a worrisome spike in suicide among women. In Japan, 6,976 women took their lives last year, nearly 15% more than in 2019. It was the first year-over-year increase in more than a decade. Each suicide — and suicide attempt — represents an individual tragedy rooted in a complex constellation of reasons. But the increase among women, which extended across seven straight months last year, has concerned government officials and mental health experts who have worked to reduce what had been among the highest rates of suicide in the world. (While more men than women killed themselves last year, fewer men did so than in 2019. Overall, suicides increased by slightly less than 4%.) The situation has reinforced long-standing challenges for Japan. Talking about mental health issues, or seeking help, is still difficult in a society that emphasizes stoicism. The pandemic has also amplified the stresses in a culture that is grounded in social cohesion and relies on peer pressure to drive compliance with government requests to wear masks and practice good hygiene. Women, who are often designated as primary caregivers, at times fear public humiliation if they somehow fail to uphold these measures or get infected with the coronavirus. “Women bear the burden of doing virus prevention,” said Yuki Nishimura, a director of the Japanese Association of Mental Health Services. “Women have to look after their families’ health, and they have to look after cleanliness and can get looked down upon if they are not doing it right.” Also read| Pandemic raises Japan suicide rate after decade of decline In one widely publicized account, a 30-something woman who had been recuperating from the coronavirus at home killed herself. The Japanese media seized on her note expressing anguish over the possibility that she had infected others and caused them trouble, while experts questioned whether shame may have driven her to despair. “Unfortunately the current tendency is to blame the victim,” said Michiko Ueda, an associate professor of political science at Waseda University in Tokyo who has researched suicide. Ueda found in surveys last year that 40% of respondents worried about social pressure if they contracted the virus. “We don’t basically support you if you are not ‘one of us,’” said Ueda. “And if you have mental health issues you are not one of us.” Experts have also worried that a succession of Japanese film and television stars who took their own lives last year may have spurred a string of copycat suicides. After Yuko Takeuchi, a popular, award-winning actress, took her life in late September, the number of women taking their own lives in the following month jumped by close to 90% compared to the previous year. Shortly after Takeuchi’s death, Nao, 30, started writing a blog to chronicle her lifelong battles with depression and eating disorders. She wrote candidly about her suicide attempt three years earlier. Also read| Pandemic raises Japan suicide rate after decade of decline Such openness about mental health struggles is still relatively rare in Japan. The celebrity suicides prompted Nao, whose family name has been withheld at her request to protect her privacy, to reflect on how she might have reacted if she had hit her emotional nadir during the pandemic. “When you’re at home alone, you feel very isolated from society and that feeling is really painful,” she said. “Just imagining if I was in that situation right now, I think the suicide attempt would have happened a lot earlier, and probably I think I would have succeeded.” Writing about her challenges, Nao, who is now married, said she wanted to help others who might be feeling desperate, particularly at a time when so many people are sequestered from friends and colleagues. “Knowing someone went through or is going through something similar as you — and knowing that someone is seeking professional help for that and that it actually helped — would encourage people to do a similar thing,” said Nao, who said she wanted to help remove the taboos associated with mental illness in Japan. Nao’s husband could see how much she struggled with the long working hours and brutal office culture at the consulting firm where they first met. Then when she quit, she felt adrift. During the pandemic, women have suffered disproportionate job losses. They made up the bulk of employees within the industries most affected by infection control measures, including restaurants, bars and hotels. About half of all working women hold part-time or contract jobs, and when business flatlined, companies cut those employees first. In the first nine months of last year, 1.44 million such workers lost their jobs, more than half of them women. Although Nao quit her consulting job voluntarily to seek psychiatric treatment, she remembers feeling wracked with insecurity, no longer able to pay her rent. When she and her then-fiancé decided to accelerate their wedding plans, her father accused her of being selfish. “I just felt like I lost everything,” she recalled. Those feelings, she said, triggered the depression that led to her suicide attempt. After spending some time in a psychiatric hospital and continuing medication, her self-confidence improved. She found a four-day-a-week job working in the digital operation of a magazine group and is now able to manage the workload. In the past, suicide rates in Japan have spiked during times of economic crisis, including after the burst of the property-based bubble in the 1990s and the global downturn in 2008. During those periods, it was men who were most affected by job losses and who killed themselves at higher rates. Historically, suicides among men in Japan have outnumbered those among women by a factor of at least 2-1. “They became more desperate after losing their jobs or fortunes,” said Testuya Matsubayashi, a professor of political science at Osaka University who specializes in social epidemiology. Last year, Matsubayashi noted that in those Japanese prefectures with the highest unemployment rates, suicides among women under 40 rose the most. More than two-thirds of the women who killed themselves in 2020 were unemployed. Among women under 40, suicides rose by close to 25%, and among adolescents, the number of high school girls taking their lives doubled last year. In Hashimoto’s case, fears of financial dependence contributed to her sense of hopelessness. Even when the gym where she worked as a personal trainer reopened, she did not feel emotionally stable enough to return. She then felt guilty about relying on her boyfriend, emotionally and financially. She had met Nozomu Takeda, 23, who works in the construction industry, at the gym, where he was her training client. They had been dating only three months when she confided that her depression was becoming untenable. Unable to afford therapy and suffering severe anxiety attacks, she said she identified with others who “felt very pushed into a corner.” When she attempted suicide, all she could think about was freeing Takeda from the responsibility of taking care of her. “I wanted to take the burden off him,” she said. Even those who have not lost jobs may have come under extra stress. Before the pandemic, working from home was extremely rare in Japan. Then women suddenly had to worry not only about pleasing their bosses from afar, but also about juggling new safety and hygiene protocols for their children, or protecting elderly parents who were more vulnerable to the virus. The expectations to excel did not change, but their contact with friends and other support networks diminished. “If they can’t get together with other people or share their stresses with other people, then it’s not really surprising” that they are feeling pressured or depressed, said Kumiko Nemoto, a professor of sociology at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. Having survived her own suicide attempt, Hashimoto now wants to help others learn to talk through their emotional problems and connect them to professionals. Takeda says he appreciates how Hashimoto speaks openly about her depression. “She is the type of person who really shares what she needs and what is wrong,” he said. “So it was very easy for me to support her because she vocalizes what she needs.” Together, the couple developed an app, which they are calling Bloste (short for “blow off steam”), to match therapists with those seeking counseling. Hashimoto is trying to recruit both seasoned professionals and those at the start of their careers, who are more likely to charge affordable rates for young clients. Eventually, she would like to train as a therapist herself, with a special focus on women. “The country has mainly focused on moving women up the career ladder and their economic well-being,” Hashimoto said. “But I would like to emphasize women’s mental health.” — If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). In Japan, contact TELL Lifeline at 03-5774-0992 or telljp.com/lifeline/, or go to the Japanese-language site inochinodenwa.org. You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

As pandemic took hold, suicide rose among Japanese women

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday launched a cabinet aimed at easing loneliness and stress among its citizens. Suicide rates across the country have increased, marking the first rise in 11 years, prompting officials to find new measures to ease the pressure on people.

Owing to the restrictions in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, social gatherings in the country have remained largely restricted. Suga on Friday tapped Tetsushi Sakamoto for the job, who is expected to coordinate work across different ministries and agencies.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-japans-rising-suicide-rate-346567/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Women especially are feeling more isolated and face increasing suicide rates," Nikkie Asia quoted Suga as saying to Sakamoto.&nbsp;"I'd like you to examine the issue and put forward a comprehensive strategy", he reportedly said further.

Suga also focused on the rise in suicides especially among women, and Sakamoto is now expected to curate a team to host an emergency forum in a bid to come up with a plan this month.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-japans-minister-of-happiness-364132/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Sakamoto told reporters after the meeting that he hopes to promote activities aimed at preventing loneliness and social isolation. 
 
The country had one of the world's highest suicide rates, which changed over the last decade. 20,919 people in Japan died by suicide in 2020, marking a 3.7 per cent surge compared to 2019.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/pandemic-raises-japan-suicide-rate-after-decade-of-decline-358517" hreflang="en">Pandemic raises Japan suicide rate after decade of decline</a>

Japan is not the only country to come up with such measures. In 2018, the United Kingdom government created a cabinet of ministers to fight loneliness, especially among its elderly.

But in Japan, the issue is not age-specific and affects people among all age groups.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday launched a cabinet aimed at easing loneliness and stress among its citizens. Suicide rates across the country have increased, marking the first rise in 11 years, prompting officials to find new measures to ease the pressure on people.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday launched a cabinet aimed at easing loneliness and stress among its citizens. Suicide rates across the country have increased, marking the first rise in 11 years, prompting officials to find new measures to ease the pressure on people. Owing to the restrictions in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, social gatherings in the country have remained largely restricted. Suga on Friday tapped Tetsushi Sakamoto for the job, who is expected to coordinate work across different ministries and agencies. "Women especially are feeling more isolated and face increasing suicide rates," Nikkie Asia quoted Suga as saying to Sakamoto. "I'd like you to examine the issue and put forward a comprehensive strategy", he reportedly said further. Suga also focused on the rise in suicides especially among women, and Sakamoto is now expected to curate a team to host an emergency forum in a bid to come up with a plan this month. Sakamoto told reporters after the meeting that he hopes to promote activities aimed at preventing loneliness and social isolation. The country had one of the world's highest suicide rates, which changed over the last decade. 20,919 people in Japan died by suicide in 2020, marking a 3.7 per cent surge compared to 2019. Also read: Pandemic raises Japan suicide rate after decade of decline Japan is not the only country to come up with such measures. In 2018, the United Kingdom government created a cabinet of ministers to fight loneliness, especially among its elderly. But in Japan, the issue is not age-specific and affects people among all age groups.

Japan appoints 'Minister of Loneliness' to fight pandemic-driven isolation

The pandemic not only effected economy and lives all across but also gave rise to mental health issues. As the world dealt with isolation and quarantine amid the coronavirus scare, it led to increase in mental health issues for many including actress Taraji P Henson.&nbsp; 
 
Henson was one of many who became puzzled by a life in lockdown when lockdown was announced in March earlier this year. The entertainment industry like many others were majorly hit as actors and technicians were left with no work as many productions were in a limbo.&nbsp; 
 
The lockdown made Henson contemplate whether she still wanted to live.

In a revent interview that the 50-year-old actress said she found herself struggling to get out of bed in the morning.

"For a couple of days, I couldn't get out of bed and that's not me," Henson revealed on her 'Peace of Mind with Taraji' Facebook Watch series while speaking to co-host Tracie Jade and psychologist Dr. LaShonda Green.

The actress revealed that she was "having thoughts about ending it."

She said she had purchased a gun at the time, and recalled thinking, "I could go in there right now, and just end it all." 
The actress revealed that she contemplated suicide for two nights before she decided to go and speak to someone about it.&nbsp;

"People were calling me, I wasn't responding. I just didn't care," Henson explained and added that she felt she was 'withdrawing'.

Fortunately, Henson said she spoke to a girlfriend despite feeling "ashamed" and fearing her friends would "think I'm crazy." 
"So one day I just blurted it out, to my girlfriend. She called me in the morning and I was like, 'You know I thought about killing myself last night. Oh my God, I feel so much better. I'm not gonna do it now." 
 
Henson felt that it was detrimental for her to speak out about her problems to someone in order to prevent it from happening.&nbsp; 
Green told Henson that having these unwanted feelings at times is "absolutely normal." 
 
Henson has one son, Marcell Johnson, who is 26. In October, the award-winning actress announced she had split from fiancé Kelvin Hayden. 
 
"I’m dedicated to the black man, y’all. I just turned 50 and I mean, I hadn’t said it yet, but it didn’t work out," Henson explained on 'The Breakfast Club' radio show. "I tried. I was, like, therapy. Let’s do the therapy thing, but if you’re both not on the same page with that then you feel like, you’re taking it on yourself, and that’s not a fair position for anybody to play in a relationship." 
&nbsp;

The pandemic not only effected economy and lives all across but also gave rise to mental health issues. As the world dealt with isolation and quarantine amid the coronavirus scare, it led to increase in mental health issues for many including actress Taraji P Henson.

The pandemic not only effected economy and lives all across but also gave rise to mental health issues. As the world dealt with isolation and quarantine amid the coronavirus scare, it led to increase in mental health issues for many including actress Taraji P Henson. Henson was one of many who became puzzled by a life in lockdown when lockdown was announced in March earlier this year. The entertainment industry like many others were majorly hit as actors and technicians were left with no work as many productions were in a limbo. The lockdown made Henson contemplate whether she still wanted to live. In a revent interview that the 50-year-old actress said she found herself struggling to get out of bed in the morning. "For a couple of days, I couldn't get out of bed and that's not me," Henson revealed on her 'Peace of Mind with Taraji' Facebook Watch series while speaking to co-host Tracie Jade and psychologist Dr. LaShonda Green. The actress revealed that she was "having thoughts about ending it." She said she had purchased a gun at the time, and recalled thinking, "I could go in there right now, and just end it all." The actress revealed that she contemplated suicide for two nights before she decided to go and speak to someone about it. "People were calling me, I wasn't responding. I just didn't care," Henson explained and added that she felt she was 'withdrawing'. Fortunately, Henson said she spoke to a girlfriend despite feeling "ashamed" and fearing her friends would "think I'm crazy." "So one day I just blurted it out, to my girlfriend. She called me in the morning and I was like, 'You know I thought about killing myself last night. Oh my God, I feel so much better. I'm not gonna do it now." Henson felt that it was detrimental for her to speak out about her problems to someone in order to prevent it from happening. Green told Henson that having these unwanted feelings at times is "absolutely normal." Henson has one son, Marcell Johnson, who is 26. In October, the award-winning actress announced she had split from fiancé Kelvin Hayden. "I’m dedicated to the black man, y’all. I just turned 50 and I mean, I hadn’t said it yet, but it didn’t work out," Henson explained on 'The Breakfast Club' radio show. "I tried. I was, like, therapy. Let’s do the therapy thing, but if you’re both not on the same page with that then you feel like, you’re taking it on yourself, and that’s not a fair position for anybody to play in a relationship."

Taraji P Henson reveals she contemplated suicide amid pandemic

As the world is battling the novel coronavirus, Japan had been safer from the deadly virus, as compared to other countries. However, another danger has taken over the Asian country.

With the danger of contracting COVID-19, majority of the countries went into a nationwide lockdown, which was followed by Japan too. However, unlike many others, Japan was able to contain the spread sooner than the rest of the world. Sadly, that has not eased the pressure of the locals who are struggling to pay their bills in the pandemic-hit economy.

As per the official statistics released, Japan has lost more people to suicide in the month of October alone, than to COVID-19 in the year 2020.

The monthly suicide figure increased to&nbsp;2,153 for the month of October, according to data released by Japan's National Police Agency. The figure has come as a shocking reminder of the effects of the novel coronavirus on one's mental health.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-japans-rising-suicide-rate-346567/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Japan recorded a death toll of nearly&nbsp;2,087 by coronavirus till date, the health ministry said. However, the reality is that while people were able to save themselves from contracting the deadly virus, they were unable to escape the adverse effects of the nationwide lockdown.

The government has implemented two lockdowns, to date. However, experts believe that since the intensity of the lockdowns was not that severe in Japan, other countries which have had stricter lockdowns — such as India, Italy, Pakistan, Australia — face a bigger threat of declining mental health. Japan is one of the rare countries that provides&nbsp;timely suicide data.&nbsp;

However, Japan's alarming rise in the suicide rate is not just because of the coronavirus. The locals are also struggling with&nbsp;long working hours in&nbsp;their professional lives and teenagers are struggling with increasing school pressure. In addition to social isolation, the stigma and stereotypes associated with mental health have also been cited as one of the main reasons for people choosing to end their lives.

This increase in the suicide rate has come as a reverse trend in the country. Japan's suicide rate had been decreasing in the past year and had reached about&nbsp;20,000 last year. However, the pandemic has resulted into an increase this year, which has worried the government.

One worrying fact observed in this data study is that the number of female suicide rate increased by almost&nbsp;83 per cent, and for men it increased by&nbsp;22 per cent. The locals believe this is because Japan has been ignoring women and their issues for too long and women often get pushed in the corner due to Japan's "survival of the fittest" thought process. A major reason behind such a massive increase in the female suicide rate is also the increasing domestic pressure of keeping the partners happy and satisfied, as well as making sure the children are healthy, fit and excelling in school. This pressure has increased in the pandemic, as many women have reported increased anxieties since the lockdowns.

As the world is battling the novel coronavirus, Japan had been safer from the deadly virus, as compared to other countries. However, another danger has taken over the Asian country.

As the world is battling the novel coronavirus, Japan had been safer from the deadly virus, as compared to other countries. However, another danger has taken over the Asian country. With the danger of contracting COVID-19, majority of the countries went into a nationwide lockdown, which was followed by Japan too. However, unlike many others, Japan was able to contain the spread sooner than the rest of the world. Sadly, that has not eased the pressure of the locals who are struggling to pay their bills in the pandemic-hit economy. As per the official statistics released, Japan has lost more people to suicide in the month of October alone, than to COVID-19 in the year 2020. The monthly suicide figure increased to 2,153 for the month of October, according to data released by Japan's National Police Agency. The figure has come as a shocking reminder of the effects of the novel coronavirus on one's mental health. × Japan recorded a death toll of nearly 2,087 by coronavirus till date, the health ministry said. However, the reality is that while people were able to save themselves from contracting the deadly virus, they were unable to escape the adverse effects of the nationwide lockdown. The government has implemented two lockdowns, to date. However, experts believe that since the intensity of the lockdowns was not that severe in Japan, other countries which have had stricter lockdowns — such as India, Italy, Pakistan, Australia — face a bigger threat of declining mental health. Japan is one of the rare countries that provides timely suicide data. However, Japan's alarming rise in the suicide rate is not just because of the coronavirus. The locals are also struggling with long working hours in their professional lives and teenagers are struggling with increasing school pressure. In addition to social isolation, the stigma and stereotypes associated with mental health have also been cited as one of the main reasons for people choosing to end their lives. This increase in the suicide rate has come as a reverse trend in the country. Japan's suicide rate had been decreasing in the past year and had reached about 20,000 last year. However, the pandemic has resulted into an increase this year, which has worried the government. One worrying fact observed in this data study is that the number of female suicide rate increased by almost 83 per cent, and for men it increased by 22 per cent. The locals believe this is because Japan has been ignoring women and their issues for too long and women often get pushed in the corner due to Japan's "survival of the fittest" thought process. A major reason behind such a massive increase in the female suicide rate is also the increasing domestic pressure of keeping the partners happy and satisfied, as well as making sure the children are healthy, fit and excelling in school. This pressure has increased in the pandemic, as many women have reported increased anxieties since the lockdowns.

More people died by suicide in October than from COVID-19 in 2020 in Japan

According to a data, in Japan suicide this October claimed more lives than the COVID-19 did in the year 2020.

Japan: Suicide claim more lives in a month than COVID in a year

The Austrian police was attending to a distress call of a 31-year-old lady in Vienna when they realised that instead of the woman, it was three young girls who were the victims.

When the local police reached an apartment in Vienna, they found dead bodies of an eight-month-old baby and a three-year-old girl. Another nine-year-old girl was also found in the apartment and was struggling to breathe. the nin-year-old was rushed to the hospital immediately, but the medical team was unable to save her.

Upon investigating it was found that the police had received a distress call by a 31-year-old — the three kids' mother — saying she wanted to kill herself.

The police revealed that the mother had some light injuries herself, and her three daughters had suffocated to death.

Upon investigating, the mother has now confessed to having killed the three daughters, but the motive behind this is not clear.

The Austrian police was attending to a distress call of a 31-year-old lady in Vienna when they realised that instead of the woman, it was three young girls who were the victims.

The Austrian police was attending to a distress call of a 31-year-old lady in Vienna when they realised that instead of the woman, it was three young girls who were the victims. When the local police reached an apartment in Vienna, they found dead bodies of an eight-month-old baby and a three-year-old girl. Another nine-year-old girl was also found in the apartment and was struggling to breathe. the nin-year-old was rushed to the hospital immediately, but the medical team was unable to save her. Upon investigating it was found that the police had received a distress call by a 31-year-old — the three kids' mother — saying she wanted to kill herself. The police revealed that the mother had some light injuries herself, and her three daughters had suffocated to death. Upon investigating, the mother has now confessed to having killed the three daughters, but the motive behind this is not clear.

Austrian mother confesses to suffocating 3 daughters to death

suicide

Suicide, News on Suicide, stories on Suicide, articles on Suicide, Suicide stories at Wion, Suicide news, Suicide latest news