Mental Health

Tetsushi Sakamoto was appointed "Minister for Loneliness" by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga earlier in February after Japan saw the first rise in suicides in 11 years in 2020. 20,919 people committed suicide in Japan in 2020, 750 more than in 2019. A department will further investigate the impact of the "many kinds of loneliness".

According to Dr Adrian James, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, that the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences probably pose "the biggest hit to mental health since the second world war" and will result in around 10 million people needing new or additional mental health support.

“This is going to have a profound effect on mental health,” James said. “It is probably the biggest hit to mental health since the second world war. It doesn’t stop when the virus is under control and there are few people in hospital. You’ve got to fund the long-term consequences.”

Voters have approved Measure 109 that directs the Oregon Health Authority to create a state-licensed, psilocybin-assisted therapy program over the next two years. In addition, a regulation plan for the substance should be developed by the authorities as psilocybin remains a Schedule I substance under federal rules.

The measure aims to help patients with chronic mental health issues like PTSD, depression and addiction as well as reducing anxiety for patients who are dying.

Daisy Coleman, an advocate for sexual abuse victim and subject of a Netflix documentary, has taken her own life at the age of 23. After her mother called the police for a wellness check, Coleman was found dead.

Coleman was allegedly sexually assaulted when she was 14 while being unconscious at a high school party. In 2016, she was featured in the Netflix documentary "Audrie & Daisy" which followed the aftermath of both girls' harassment after the assault.

"She was my best friend and amazing daughter. I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her. I can't. I wish I could have taken the pain from her! She never recovered from what those boys did to her and it's just not fair. My baby girl is gone," so her mother, Melinda Coleman, in a post to Facebook.

The Canadian government has announced that the usage of psychedelic mushrooms will be permitted as part of a "psilocybin therapy" for terminally ill patients. The intended benefit is to help people to ease their fear of death and end-of-life anxiety.

Four patients had previously appealed to the Canadian Minister of Health Patty Hajdu in order to get an approval for exemption in order to obtain and consume the substance which became illegal in Canada in 1974.

Laurie Brooks, one of the four patients, has stated: "I want to thank the Health Minister and Health Canada for approving my request for psilocybin use. The acknowledgement of the pain and anxiety that I have been suffering with means a lot to me, and I am feeling quite emotional today as a result. I hope this is just the beginning and that soon all Canadians will be able to access psilocybin, for therapeutic use, to help with the pain they are experiencing, without having to petition the government for months to gain permission."

The forward player for the Cleveland Cavaliers has announced that he has committed $500,000 through his foundation to the psychology department of the University of California, Los Angeles. In the past, he has been vocal about his own history and struggles with mental health, namely panic attacks and anxiety. The donation has been committed on Monday, a day after he received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for his efforts in mental health.

Japan sees a decline in suicide rates this April, dropping by 20% compared to the same time last year. 1,814 people took their own lives in April 2019 compared to 1,455 in 2020.

The Covid-19 lockdown was initially thought to show an increased rate in suicides because of suicide prevention helplines not working and the pandemic was believed to be a heightened stress factor. While Japan saw a growing number of suicides of children in the last years, triggered by bullying and academic problems, it's believed this number has decreased due to children being safe at home with their families.

The newly passed law bans the practice of conversion therapy to change or suppress the sexual orientation of minors in Germany. While the practice stays legal for adults, children that are forced into it by their parents and legal guardians can be punished and people practicing the interventions can be fined for up to 30,000€ and face up to a year of prison time. According to experts, the treatment has no scientific basis and research suggests that it can increase the risk of suicide and lead to depression.

The director of the Employee Assistance Program at Northwell Health in New York, Curtis Reisinger, has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic causes so-called "second victims", referring to healthcare workers that experience traumata because of the circumstances in the fight against the virus. These can be related to stress, not being able to care for the patients' needs due to missing capacity, missing staff and other reasons. Multiple suicides of healthcare workers have already been reported.