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:
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
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.