Current Suicide Trends and Prevention Measures

So I figured for this post, I would take a step away from the literary world and focus primarily on the sociological aspect of my research.  I went over most of these points in my presentation (NOTE: Must be logged in as USC student/faculty to view in GoogleDocs), but here I'd like to present the current rates and prevention measures for suicide in Japan a bit more in-depth.

After I gave my presentation in class on Tuesday, I conducted more research on my topic and found a much more informative sociological article from 2009 that contained a suicide rate chart reaching as far back as 1899 (previously, I could only find one reaching as far back as 1953).  According to the chart's accompanying analysis, there is a clear peak after WWII (something I theorized but did not have adequate data to use as evidence) as well as peaks in 1986 and 2003.  Again, the highest number of suicides was attributed to males, mostly of middle-age status, and there is a clear link between suicide rates and unemployment rates.

But aside from middle-aged men, "among men under 44 and women under 34 years of age, suicide is the most frequent cause of death."  In short, suicide in Japan appears to be most prominent in young adults and the early middle-aged.  But why is this?  The article doesn't offer much in terms of speculation, but based on my own research, I find it likely that the high tendency for youths--in particular high schoolers--to commit suicide has much to do with school pressure, entrance exams, and bullying.

The article goes on to define a brief history of legal and social actions taken to curb suicide rates.  Official prevention measures started in 1979 with the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Education.  But it wasn't until after 1998 with the economic disaster and sudden spike in suicide rates that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) began to more diligently assess the problem of suicide.

Something I was not aware of in giving my presentation was the formation of the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Initiative (CSPI) in 2007.  The project runs under the motto "Creating a Society Where Life is Easier."  It recognizes suicide as a "forced death," implying that the cause is not in the individual but in society.  This idea fits nicely into what I've been uncovering--the fact that one of the reasons suicide is so high today is not simply because of the economy but a set of embedded societal expectations, particularly those of middle-aged men.  Whether or not suicide rates directly relate back to the samurai ideals of honor and duty is unclear, but it is certain that the Japanese still value these traits--and that suicide remains an unfortunate extension.

What do you think?