Use of Telephone Crisis Hotline by Callers with Suicidality in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to clarify changes over time in suicidal tendencies among crisis hotline service users in Japan before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

We analyzed telephone consultation data from January 2017 to June 2021 held by Inochi No Denwa, a leading organization providing a telephone crisis hotline in Japan. The number of monthly consultations by gender and the monthly counts of consultations identified by counselors as suicidal were collected, and we calculated trends over time in the proportion of suicidal calls by month using Joinpoint regression analysis.

Results

The results indicated that the use of telephone crisis hotlines by suicidal callers increased significantly in Japan during the second wave of the pandemic in June to October 2020. These trends were also observed for both male and female users, although the increase began 1 month earlier for females than for males.

Conclusion

Previous studies reported that mental health deteriorated and suicide risk increased significantly during the second wave of COVID-19 in Japan. These trends are consistent with the present findings, suggesting increased use of the crisis hotline by individuals at high suicide risk.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Suicidal calls to crisis hotline in Japan increased rapidly from June to October 2020.

• Suicidal calls began to increase 1 month before the suicide rate increased for women.

• A sharp increase, not seen in the suicide rate for men, was observed in suicidal calls.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• crisis hotline
• Joinpoint
• suicide

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Benjamin Knight, MSc, from Edanz (https://jp.edanz.com/ac) for editing a draft of this manuscript.

AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS

All authors have been personally and actively involved in substantive work leading to the report, and will hold themselves jointly and individually responsible for its content. YK (the first author) developed the original idea for the study. All authors participated in the design and coordination of the study. HH (the second author), NS (the third author), YS (the fourth author), KO (the fifth author), SH (the sixth author), and SK (the last author) collected data. HH (the second author) and NS (the third author) managed collection of data. YK performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Permission was obtained from all coauthors for submission.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Notes on contributors

Yotaro Katsumata

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Hitoshi Hachisuka

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Nobuko Sago

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Yasuo Shimizu

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Kikuo Oikawa

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Shigeo Horii

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Seiji Kimata

Yotaro Katsumata, Hitoshi Hachisuka, Nobuko Sago, Yasuo Shimizu, Kikuo Oikawa, Shigeo Horii, and Seiji Kimata, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.