5 ms·

Last time I looked into it, Japan’s suicide numbers were not as high as I’d been primed to expect. Japans suicide rate is less than America’s (14.5 vs 12.2 per

Last time I looked into it, Japan’s suicide numbers were not as high as I’d been primed to expect. Japans suicide rate is less than America’s (14.5 vs 12.2 per 100k), and roughly equivalent to Sweden 12.4) and Norway (11.8). Still relatively elevated for OECD countries, but Japan’s reputation as an extremely high suicide rate country appears to be unearned. Countries like South Korea (21.2), Russia (21.6), Lithuania (20.2), and Ukraine (17.7) should generally get more attention on this matter than Japan does.

neaden 5y ago
This could be the difference between suicidality and completion of suicide. Firearms are linked to an increase of completed suicides but not attempts, which could explain the US's higher rate.
- naasking 5y ago
  Also, Japan has a much larger aging population, so their cultural threshold for what's an "acceptable" suicide rate among the young could be much lower.
- ashtonkem 5y ago
  Access to firearms has certainly been shown to affect suicide rates, especially among men, given how surprisingly impulsive suicides are. But it's not sufficient, given that there are other countries with higher suicide rates and fewer firearms. Also, while America has a lot of guns, there's also a lot of variance. The stats are a bit hard to compute, but there appear to be some states in the US that have fewer firearms per capita than some other countries, notably Switzerland, Canada, and Finland. It's also worth pointing out that suicide by firearm is largely a male thing. In the United States women attempt suicide at 3x the rate that men do, but they tend to die because of that at a much lower rate (22.4 for men, 6.8 for women). The rate of completed female suicides is currently rising faster for women than men, worryingly. It's complicated, basically. And as always discussing suicide creates a contagion risk. If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts, please know that help is available at the national suicide prevention hotline, 800-273-8255.
  - SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
    > Access to firearms has certainly been shown to affect suicide rates, especially among men, given how surprisingly impulsive suicides are. But it's not sufficient, given that there are other countries with higher suicide rates and fewer firearms. For reference, nine of the top ten nations for suicide of banned civilian gun ownership. All of the top 40 nations make it difficult. USA is usually around #50 or so. It is complicated, and even statements like ”access to firearms has been shown to affect suicide rates” are could be misleading because you could be putting the cart before the horse, if someone has chosen to kill themselves, it reasons they will chose a fast/painless, and effective tool.
    - LinuxBender 5y ago
      Less painful in my opinion would be a helium tank from a childrens party store and a gas mask from a hardware store. Syncope -> Mortality. Probably closer to Kevorkian's assisted method but more involved.
      - WalterSear 5y ago
        They no longer put pure helium in those tanks for this reason.
        LinuxBender 5y ago
        Ah yes, it appears that has fallen in favor of nitrogen. [1] I never would have imagined nitrogen would do the same thing. Apparently there are a variety of inert gasses that have the same effect. [2] [1] - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684846/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684846/ [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inert_gas_asphyxiation#Suicide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inert_gas_asphyxiation#Suicide
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        5y ago
- noobermin 5y ago
  Sure but it doesn't explain South Korea
noobermin 5y ago
Like everything, including the supposed "virginity crisis," it's primed by the media that reaches western eyes that somehow people here think Japan is all an edgy anime.
bazooka_penguin 5y ago
Japan has been framed as weird and backwards since the 80s and 90s when the US took issue with their rising economy and encroachment on western industries

neaden 5y ago

This could be the difference between suicidality and completion of suicide. Firearms are linked to an increase of completed suicides but not attempts, which could explain the US's higher rate.

naasking 5y ago
Also, Japan has a much larger aging population, so their cultural threshold for what's an "acceptable" suicide rate among the young could be much lower.
ashtonkem 5y ago
Access to firearms has certainly been shown to affect suicide rates, especially among men, given how surprisingly impulsive suicides are. But it's not sufficient, given that there are other countries with higher suicide rates and fewer firearms. Also, while America has a lot of guns, there's also a lot of variance. The stats are a bit hard to compute, but there appear to be some states in the US that have fewer firearms per capita than some other countries, notably Switzerland, Canada, and Finland. It's also worth pointing out that suicide by firearm is largely a male thing. In the United States women attempt suicide at 3x the rate that men do, but they tend to die because of that at a much lower rate (22.4 for men, 6.8 for women). The rate of completed female suicides is currently rising faster for women than men, worryingly. It's complicated, basically. And as always discussing suicide creates a contagion risk. If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts, please know that help is available at the national suicide prevention hotline, 800-273-8255.
- SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
  > Access to firearms has certainly been shown to affect suicide rates, especially among men, given how surprisingly impulsive suicides are. But it's not sufficient, given that there are other countries with higher suicide rates and fewer firearms. For reference, nine of the top ten nations for suicide of banned civilian gun ownership. All of the top 40 nations make it difficult. USA is usually around #50 or so. It is complicated, and even statements like ”access to firearms has been shown to affect suicide rates” are could be misleading because you could be putting the cart before the horse, if someone has chosen to kill themselves, it reasons they will chose a fast/painless, and effective tool.
  - LinuxBender 5y ago
    Less painful in my opinion would be a helium tank from a childrens party store and a gas mask from a hardware store. Syncope -> Mortality. Probably closer to Kevorkian's assisted method but more involved.
    - WalterSear 5y ago
      They no longer put pure helium in those tanks for this reason.
      - LinuxBender 5y ago
        Ah yes, it appears that has fallen in favor of nitrogen. [1] I never would have imagined nitrogen would do the same thing. Apparently there are a variety of inert gasses that have the same effect. [2] [1] - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684846/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684846/ [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inert_gas_asphyxiation#Suicide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inert_gas_asphyxiation#Suicide
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        5y ago
noobermin 5y ago
Sure but it doesn't explain South Korea

noobermin 5y ago

Like everything, including the supposed "virginity crisis," it's primed by the media that reaches western eyes that somehow people here think Japan is all an edgy anime.

bazooka_penguin 5y ago

Japan has been framed as weird and backwards since the 80s and 90s when the US took issue with their rising economy and encroachment on western industries