This project will train 40 crisis lifeline chat support workers in Japan, who will focus on youth suicide prevention. Every year more than 20,000 people die by suicide in Japan, one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Many of those dying are teenagers and young people. Your donation will help to reduce suicide by increasing the number of support workers trained to use TELL's online chat service, thus enabling young lives to reach their full potential. Together we can save lives.
The stigma surrounding mental illness is greater in Japan than in many other countries, which leads to a high number of suicides. Suicide is the end result of a treatable mental illness, but many people do not seek help. Most hide their illness and feel ashamed to talk about it. They die alone, feeling like a failure and a burden. This is especially true for young people. Having a space to talk confidentially about your struggles can mean the difference between life and death.
Providing support in a medium that young people are comfortable with is essential. Young people prefer to engage via chat than traditional phone lifeline services. We are seeking to expand our online chat service hours to reach more young people in distress. To do this we need more volunteers. With more volunteers, we will be able to offer our chat service across more nights of the week.
Expansion of our chat service will allow us to support more young people who are at risk. Most youth are in crisis when they reach out. We not only offer them immediate support, but also connect them with professional help and resources. More young people will be able to find help and to access the services they need, which will ultimately lead to fewer suicides in Japan and greater mental well-being among young people. Zero suicides is possible.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
