Japanese Children Suffer from Poor Mental Health

(MENAFN) A recent UNICEF report, published on Wednesday, reveals that Japanese children continue to face significant mental health challenges, with Japan placing 32nd out of 43 advanced and developing countries.

While the nation has slightly progressed from 37th in 2020 to 32nd, the rate of youth suicide has deteriorated, now marking Japan as having the fourth highest suicide rate among affluent nations, a sharp rise from its previous rank of 12th, as noted by a news agency.

Despite these concerning mental health statistics, Japan maintained a top position in physical well-being, holding on to its number one spot, as it did in the previous analysis.

This underscores a stark contrast between the country’s strengths in physical health and its ongoing difficulties in supporting the emotional welfare of its youth.

The UNICEF study assessed nations within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union, analyzing areas such as psychological health, bodily well-being, and academic and interpersonal skills.

Japan showed progress in educational and social competencies, climbing to 12th place, and achieved an overall ranking of 14th.

The Netherlands led the rankings, while the United States and six other nations were excluded due to insufficient mental health statistics.

The report emphasized the extensive influence of the COVID-19 crisis on children's educational development, as well as their mental and physical states, across industrialized countries.

It called on all governments to confront the difficulties impacting children's overall quality of life as they grow up in an era defined by health crises, global conflicts, and environmental change.

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