Type: #psycho

Pain Level: 10 (People gave up their own life.)

Citation: Nakagawa, A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S. P., Oquendo, M. A., Kashima, H., Gibbons, R. D., & Mann, J. J. (2007). Association of suicide and antidepressant prescription rates in Japan, 1999-2003. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 68(6), 908–916. doi:10.4088/jcp.v68n0613 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3804897/

Japan has the 10th highest suicide rate in the world. Its rate of 23.8 suicides per 100,000 persons in 2002 was more than double the U.S. rate in that year. Biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors contribute to suicide risk, yet 90% or more of suicides are associated with psychiatric illness, mainly major depressive disorder. Most depressed persons who commit suicide are untreated at the time of death.Therefore, improved treatment of major depressive disorder is an important part of suicide prevention efforts.