Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga has taken the decision of appointing a ‘Minister of Loneliness’ to take down the suicide rate during the pandemic in the country. To date, 7818 people have died in Japan from COVID-19. However in October 2020 alone, the country registered a total number of 2100 suicides.
In addition to this tragic news, women and even children have been the most impacted. Is Japan giving a warning to the rest of the world? Japan, just like every other country, has been heavily impacted by the pandemic. But shouldn’t we all be concerned about crashing economies, people’s mental health, people losing so much money and the huge decrease in production around the world which can and will impact on people’s income?
These issues should concern everyone. At the end of the day because of the pandemic and the uncertainty of the world as a consequence we are all vulnerable and our mental health is likely to be affected in some way.
Every government, not only the Japanese one, should take action on addressing how the situation of the world is affecting individuals. Suicide is an extreme consequence of the psychological tragedy COVID-19 is, and sadly, this has not been controlled, and suicide rates continue to go up in several parts of the world.
One of the main problems that has led to suicide, is people feeling lonely, the feeling of isolation. Mental illness is way more common than most people realize, and this has to be urgently addressed.
How are companies among every single industry contributing to mental health and suicide prevention? This situation has to be handled as team work. We all have to support the cause.
Some positive things have been trending around the world as a result of the pandemic. These include meditation practices which have increased in many countries. Also, at-home-workouts and many people are reading more.
But all of that is not enough if as individuals we do not understand the importance of small daily practices that make us feel good. Mental health is one of the most important things in the stability of a country, and consequently, the world.
For now Japan has taken action. But shouldn’t we all start to be kinder and worry more about people’s feelings. At the end of the day, you never know how a small, kind gesture can change someone’s day – and probably even life.
After all, if we are all more open to listening and helping people around us, extreme measures such as appointing a Minister of Loneliness will no longer be required.
