Comparative Analysis of Suicide in Japan and the UK - Essay Example

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SUICIDE IN JAPAN AND UK By: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SUICIDE IN JAPAN AND UK Suicide is the act of taking away one’s life intentionally (BARKER 2004, pg05). Often as a result of various issues including among them are depression, borderline personality, mental disorders and other influences such as that of alcohol, socio-economic deprivation, health care and social fragmentation (NOCK 2013, pg24). These and other stress factor has led to the rise in suicidal rates in most countries especially those in the Asian continent and has been a great global concern (NEERAJA 2008, pg18). Various studies have been undertaken to determine the correlation between the suicidal rates and the causative effects and issues. There has been a variation of these rates between different countries and regions (NEERAJA 2008, pg23). The variations of the suicide rates between different countries are mainly because of different economic and social conditions that exist in these countries. The Asian countries over the recent years have recorded higher numbers of suicide than their western counterparts. Although the data for these deaths seem inaccurate in the Asian countries, various indicators have shown that they rate higher, some reports rating it as high as 60% of the overall suicides in the world (NOCK 2013, pg31). Japan, for instance, has experienced a surge in its suicidal mortality rates since the 1990’s (NEERAJA 2008, pg53). This has brought much particular attention to the Government and its policy makers. Globally the suicidal rate indicates a higher suicide rates on males as compared to females. Comparing to their female counterparts in the same age groups, males from different age groups have been characterized by high suicide rate (BARKER 2004, pg24). Over the centuries, it has been important to consider this factor in order to be able to develop preventive measures. To develop proper mitigation strategies, it is important to study the variations especially with times and different regions. The causative factors should be reviewed on a broader perspective to help counter this menace. Failure or success of these strategies has failed to be measured on single aspects like that of mental illness and/or disorders. This is because of the multifaceted issue, and a lot of other factors have been known to contribute to it (OCARROLL & PARK 2007, pg22). The healthcare provisions relating to the suicide menace has been more comprehensive and fruitful in the UK when comparing it to Japan (NEERAJA 2008, pg81). According to most published reports, Japan has rated higher in the suicidal rates as compared to most of the countries in the UK. Although there are still suicides committed in the UK, most of this related to the socio-economic inequalities, the suicide rate has been on a falling trend over the decades (OCARROLL & PARK 2007, pg33). Japan’s culture as a country has been considered to be more lenient and accepted of suicides that the Western countries, who have got the Christian belief of the sanctity in life. Considering the two countries, differences can be drawn from the various methods of suicide and their corresponding rates. Several methods of committing suicide include; the use of firearms, hanging, uses of pesticide poisoning, drugs and jumping and many more (CRIMINOLOGICA FOUNDATION, & RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT TE LEIDEN 1992, pg22). These two regions portray different use of methods in suicides according to various reports (NEERAJA 2008, pg 64). While in the UK use of firearms has remained the most common method, in Japan, hanging has been regarded as the most common method. Although there are other methods like gas inhalation (poisoning suicide), jumping and charcoal-burning suicide that have also significantly contributed to the suicides in Japan (OCARROLL & PARK 2007, pg74). Detailed analyses of these methods have proved important in both cases in assisting curb suicides. This is majorly because in knowing these measures, appropriate restrictive measures can be put in place to discourage the individuals with the intentions of committing suicide (NEERAJA 2008, pg44). A further analysis of this phenomenon has revealed that cultures and the environments in which these people thrive in have also contributed largely to the enhancement of these methods and their popularity (OCONNOR, PLATT & GORDON 2011, pg11). For instance, in areas with high buildings, jumping becomes the common method while in rural areas where mostly farming is practiced; people tend to commit suicide by pesticide poisoning. These have been regarded in the healthcare provisions especially to Japan where such methods have become common (OCONNOR, PLATT & GORDON 2011, pg25). Inequalities with relation to healthcare for individuals are brought about majorly as a result of the inequalities in other aspects of life especially that relating to people’s income (OCARROLL & PARK 2007, pg 42). Inequality has been a major issue of concern which has brought a lot of social and economic problems leading to heightened rates of suicide in most countries. Every member of a society that obtains higher income would be accessible to better healthcare provisions as compared to those that earn low incomes. Those high up at the management levels would tend to live longer than their counterparts at the junior positions (NEERAJA 2008, pg 72). Those who are high up in the socio-economic order of a society tend to fare well than those lower in the chain in terms of their life expectancy and mental health problems. Lower health standards often bring misery which could be a causative effect of suicidal decisions. It is often hard to delink the relationship that exists between poverty and suicide attempts (TOWNSEND 2014, pg20). Another social problem usually inspired by this inequality is often the status competition brought about by those who have the adequate amount of income and those who do not. This kind of competition piles much pressure on people causing them stress which leaves them with poor health (TOWNSEND 2014, pg51). People normally consider these kinds of competition among age groups or in society in general. The lack of appreciation or low self-esteem or both associated with this behavior leads people to the brink to the point of considering suicide as an ultimate resort to obtain respect. These kinds of frustrations; loss of face, feeling of depression, chronic stress and humiliation are more prevalent and conspicuous in unequal societies (OCARROLL & PARK 2007, pg 56). Japanese although having lower levels of inequality and social problems, are obsessed by social hierarchy. A higher status for them would effectively compensate for lower incomes. The Japanese social hierarchy is too many extents associated with social responsibilities as opposed to more competitive hierarchies as the UK’s (TOWNSEND 2014, pg79). In Japan, various actions are being undertaken to in relation to healthcare for suicide. The actions include; restricting access to information and knowledge about the methods and the methods to the public (NOCK 2013, pg37). In most instances, suicide rates have increased as a result of the dissemination of the knowledge about these methods through the mass media and over the internet. A case on point is the committing of suicide by charcoal burning. The media by depicting how these deaths are possible and with ease and displaying of intact dead bodies have attracted more people (TOWNSEND 2014, pg43). Some of these people might not have been considering the suicide option to end up killing themselves increasing the suicide rates. It is perceived that the media coverage on suicidal deaths in Japan is more extensive and elaborate as in the UK (NOCK 2013, pg40). This has led to the normalization of these deaths, and with the internet available to help guide and provide more information, has led to the widespread of suicidal deaths in the country. For healthcare provision; thus, adoption of restrictive measures especially by both the media and the cyberspace would help in curbing and reducing these deaths (TOWNSEND 2014, pg66). In relation to the UK practices, more caution can be encouraged too to prevent the dissemination of such information of more lethal methods to commit suicides. It would discourage those with the intention giving them times upon which they could reconsider such decisions (TOWNSEND 2014, pg65). Another approach is in the design of new technologies with the mind of factoring in their possible use in the committing of suicides (KENDALL 2012, pg32). The emergence of newer and better technologies has grown with the increased invention of newer methods of committing suicide. Invention of high rise buildings and other poisonous materials, otherwise invented to help people, have also resulted in bringing in newer methods of committing suicide (HOSHINO 1996, pg55). These designs thus, as a precaution should be designed to prevent their possible use for suicide motives. This is also relevant to the UK because as with the Japan’s situation, UK majors even more in deadlier chemicals and technological inventions (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 2007, pg39). These inventions should be safeguarded and designed in a way that they would not help in increasing the suicidal rates (TOWNSEND 2014, pg 72). Mental Health nursing as a profession deals majorly with such patients with mental illness as to consider suicide. They help reclaim the mental health of such patients so they can lead their normal lives (KENDALL 2012, pg56). Mental health nurses, with their training, can effectively evaluate a person’s mental health requirements, develop treatment plans and offer interventions to help in curbing the suicide menace. This comparative analysis is thus adequately relevant in this field of study as it gives the nurse proper background checks and information upon which sound evaluations and analysis can be made before the interventions can be implemented (HOSHINO 1996, pg66). Some of the recommendations that would help improve the healthcare provisions in this area would include: a) Making the access to methods considered popular for committing suicide limited to the general public. b) Considering using public health approaches in preventing suicides, integrating with it the socio-cultural, religious and economic factors of the different countries. This should involve empowering different groups by engaging them in the different preventive schemes. c) Incorporating safety measures that would help prevent suicides in newer technologies and invention Reference BARKER, P. J. (2004). Assessment in psychiatric and mental health nursing: in search of the whole person. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes. http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rwhi20/. CHALL, L. P. (1953). Sociological abstracts. San Diego, etc, Sociological Abstracts]. CRIMINOLOGICA FOUNDATION, & RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT TE LEIDEN. (1992). Criminology, penology, and police science abstracts. 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Basic concepts of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. TOWNSEND, M. C. (2014). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: concepts of care in evidence-based practice. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=642489. Read More