Suicides among children in Japan at record high during pandemic

New Delhi : Child suicides during the pandemic were at record high, infact more than ever reported in last four decades, said a local media report quoting the country's education ministry.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place and schools closing during the pandemic, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey.

The number of suicides were up by at least 100 from the last year, the highest since record-keeping began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday.

Amid the pandemic, suicides increased in 2020 after a decade of declines, with the number of women committing suicide surging amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although fewer men took their own lives.

The education ministry said a record high of more than 196,127 school children were absent for 30 days or more, media reported.

The report also suggests that a behavioural change has been registered among the students specially after the schools were closed due to coronavirus restrictions.