U.S., Japanese militaries team up against suicide

U.S., Japanese militaries team up against suicide
By Teri Weaver , Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, January 21, 2008

CAMP ZAMA, Japan — Suicide is the leading cause of death among members of Japan’s military, according to its top medical officer.

It’s a trend that Maj. Gen. Koji Sensaki, the surgeon general for Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces, wants to stop.

Japanese troops have medical staff and counselors who can help those who are considering suicide. But a recent survey found that only 3 percent of Japanese troops said they would seek out a counselor for help, according to U.S. and Japanese military officials who met at Camp Zama last week.

To combat that reluctance, Japanese military medical officials are working with the U.S. military in Japan to share ideas about identifying risks and stemming the suicide rate, Sensaki said.

In particular, Sensaki said he is interested in the counseling work that chaplains do among American servicemembers. Japan’s military doesn’t have a similar role, a person who troops can go to in confidence to discuss personal issues.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51788