Local Community Support

Analysing and understanding the local reality of suicide is essential in order to promote region-specific countermeasures

The background, causes, and characteristics of suicide vary by region. In order to promote effective suicide countermeasures at the municipal level, local government officials in charge of suicide countermeasures need to have a correct understanding of the reality of suicide in their region and reflect it in their planning. However, the fact is that staff members busy with their daily work do not have much time to analyze local suicide trends in detail.

Japan Suicide Countermeasures Promotion Center (JSCP) provides all local governments with the Profiles of Suicide in Local Communities

The new General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy, approved by the Cabinet in 2017, states that "The national government shall support local governments in developing local suicide countermeasure plans by creating profiles of suicide conditions in all prefectures and municipalities, based on locally relevant analyses from the Japan Support Center for Suicide Countermeasures (JSSC)”. JSSC, which preceded the Japan Suicide Countermeasures Promotion Center (JSCP), has been producing the Profiles of Suicide in Local Communities every year since 2017, providing them to all prefectures, ordinance-designated cities, and municipalities. This work has been taken over by JSCP since 2020, and the profiles contain the following information. It is important to read this basic material thoroughly prior to commencing planning and evaluating local measures.

• Characteristics of suicides in the region
• Suicides by attribute (gender, age, presence of co-residents, employment status, history of suicide attempts etc.)
• Student suicide
• Means of suicide
• Number of offices and employees in the region
• Local problems, stress, mental health etc.

Many prefectures and municipalities are already using the Profiles of Suicides in Local Communities

In a survey conducted by JSSC in 2018, approximately 90% of municipalities that had developed a local countermeasure plan reported that they had used the Profiles in their planning process. JSCP will continue our efforts to make the profiles more usable, taking into account feedback from relevant authorities at the prefectural and municipal levels.

Note: the Profiles are not available to the general public