TOKYO - Tokyo's Adachi Ward will begin testing a digital screening system in September to identify students at risk of suicide, as schools strengthen prevention efforts during the period following the summer vacation, when child suicides are particularly high.
Adachi recorded eight suicides among teenagers in both 2024 and 2025, the highest annual totals ever recorded in the ward, prompting officials to introduce a new initiative aimed at identifying children who may be struggling before their condition worsens.
At a municipal junior high school on August 26, teachers and other staff received training on RAMPS, a screening test designed to assess psychological distress and suicide risk among children.
An Adachi Ward health department official told staff that the ward would introduce RAMPS for the first time as part of its suicide prevention measures.
The system uses tablet computers already provided to students on a one-device-per-student basis. Students answer a series of questions, including whether they have ever felt there was no point in continuing to live, and the system assesses their level of suicide risk.
One advantage is that it can help schools detect distress among students who may find it difficult to express their feelings directly.
School staff welcomed the additional way for students to communicate their problems. A school nurse said the use of tablets would give students another means of expressing themselves and that RAMPS could also reduce the risk of staff overlooking important questions during assessments.
A senior teacher said schools should be places where students can live and study feeling safe and secure, adding that staff should be able to provide appropriate support when a student sends out an SOS.
Adachi Ward will introduce RAMPS on a trial basis at one municipal junior high school from September. Officials will assess its effectiveness and consider whether to expand the program to other schools.
The use of systems designed to make suicide risks among children more visible has been spreading across Japan.
With RAMPS, children first complete an initial screening alone on a tablet, answering questions about eating, sleeping, psychological distress and other aspects of their condition. The system analyzes not only their answers but also the amount of time taken to respond.
Teachers or other school staff then conduct a second-stage assessment through a face-to-face conversation, allowing the results to be connected with more specific forms of support.
RAMPS had been introduced at 170 schools nationwide as of fiscal 2025.
Another system, called SOS Filter, is installed on tablet computers distributed individually to elementary and junior high school students.
When a student searches on the device for words associated with serious personal difficulties, the system automatically displays information on appropriate counseling services and self-care measures, with the aim of connecting children to assistance at an early stage.
Around 5,000 search terms are registered across six categories, including suicide and problems involving relationships at school.
SOS Filter is being provided free of charge with the aim of expanding its use at educational institutions nationwide. As of July 2025, it had been installed on around 140,000 devices.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare also provides guidance on how people should respond when they notice signs that someone may be considering suicide, recommending an approach known as the TALK principle.
The first step, Tell, means expressing concern when even a small change is noticed. Ask means directly asking when and under what circumstances the person feels they want to die. The ministry advises against offering simplistic encouragement or imposing one's own experiences, emphasizing instead the importance of accepting what the person says.
Listen means concentrating on hearing the person out and taking their feelings seriously. Keep safe means ensuring the person is not left alone and securing their immediate safety, which the ministry says can be the first step toward considering the problem together.
A range of counseling services are available for people experiencing difficulties.
The Yorisoi Hotline provides telephone counseling 24 hours a day, while Anata no Ibasho offers round-the-clock counseling by online chat. Both services are available to anyone regardless of age or gender and accept consultations about any kind of personal difficulty.
Source: TOKYO MX NEWS
