Why are so many people in Japan so depressed today?

I suspect the question was prompted by this article and the study it describes: What conspires to make Japanese seem so unhappy? | The Japan Times Note that “unhappy” and “depressed” are quite different, clinically speaking. The Japanese have alwa... read more

According to a research I found, there is no clear evidence that there are so many depressed people in Japan. A stunning map of depression rates around the world. However, number of depressed people are increased after international pharmaceutical companies initiated marketing activities in Japan. read more

Maybe people today are more willing to admit to their depression, and that’s why it looks like everyone is so stressed out and depressed. That's why many researchers are skeptical of the claim that mental health issues are now more common. One way to get around this problem is to look at anonymous surveys that ask about anxiety and depression. read more

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Many deaths of elderly people in Japan may be suicides "Japan has no history of Christianity," he says "so here suicide is not a sin. In fact, some look at it as a way of taking responsibility." Ken Joseph from the Japan Helpline agrees. read more