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Mental Health News

More Japanese Deaths by Suicide than from COVID-19

[ Update: As of November 14, 2021, Japan has had a total of 1.72M cases of COVID-19 and a total of 18,324 COVID-related deaths (*1). Japan’s published suicide statistics lists 21,081 deaths by suicide in 2020 alone which far exceeds the total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 for the...

Social Media & Us

How Social Media Affects Mental Health Have you ever felt uncomfortable, anxious, or addicted when using social media? Social media has become a big part of our lives, making it easier and faster to interact with people and seemingly bringing fulfillment and convenience to our lives. However, while there are...

How Japanese People Can Stay Physically & Psychologically Healthy During the Pandemic

The infection with the COVID-19 has continued to spread in Japan. As the situation worsens, there are many people who are frightened by the threat and influence of the infection. In order to prevent the spread of the infection and restore our daily life as quickly as possible, it is...

Unemployment and business/school closure lead to greater isolation and mental health crisis

The Kaiser Family Foundation released a publication on April 21, 2020 about the long and short-term implications of Covid-19 for mental health. Under the current covid-19 pandemic, many people have been experiencing unemployment and business and school closures which increases the mental health burden. 5.2 million people filed for unemployment...

Stay-at-home Orders and Tips for Couples and Families to Stay Sane

This COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting our life in various ways from toilet paper to relationships. Due to current stay-at-home orders, are you stressed out because you cannot meet your important one as much as before or because you are with him or her every day whole day?? KALB news...

Social Distancing is NOT Social Isolating

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been encouraging us to practice social distancing in order to avoid the COVID-19 spread and protect ourselves from being exposed to the virus. Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people Do not gather in groups Stay out of...

COVID-9 Public Health Info in Japanese

ロサンゼルス郡公衆衛生局は、新型コロナウイルスパンデミック時の公衆安全と健康維持のための重要な情報とアドバイスを提供しています。下記のリンクはそれらの情報を日本語で提供しています。 COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (よくある質問) http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/FAQ-Japanese.pdf COVID-19 Infographic (新型コロナウイルスについて知っておくべきこと) http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/CoronavirusInfographicJapanese.pdf COVID-19 Guidance for Parents (小さな子供を持つ親のためのガイダンス) http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/GuidanceParentsJapanese.pdf Strategies for Coping with Stress (ストレス対処法) http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/CommunicableDisease-StrategiesForCopingJapanese.pdf The Center for Japanese Mental Health はメンタルヘルスの問題に苦しんでいる日本人の方々サポートするため、引き続き利用可能です。詳細については、CJMH.org をご覧ください。

COVID-19 Public Health Info for Japanese

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health provides important information and advice for maintaining public safety and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following website links provide information written in Japanese. COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questionshttp://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/FAQ-Japanese.pdf COVID-19 Infographichttp://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/CoronavirusInfographicJapanese.pdf COVID-19 Guidance for Parentshttp://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/GuidanceParentsJapanese.pdf Strategies for Coping with Stresshttp://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/CommunicableDisease-StrategiesForCopingJapanese.pdf The Center for...

California Safer at Home

新型コロナウイルスに対するメンタルヘルス・心のケアー対策新型コロナウイルス感染拡大の為、LAの自由な生活が一転しました。Safer at Home (外出を控える緊急命令)、ソーシャルディスタンス（約2メートルの他人との距離を保つ）、レストランや映画館などの娯楽施設の閉鎖など、さまざまな制限がかかるという大変不慣れな環境！そう考えると私達にかかるストレスは大きく、さらに今まで普通にしていた、スポーツジムに行ったり仕事帰りに一杯同僚と飲むといったストレスマネジメントも出来なくなりました。。。と言う事でこの時期にそしてこの時期だからこその３ポイント対策です。１．規則正しい生活と適度な運動やリラックスできる時間を作る。例えば、パジャマ姿で一日過ごすのでなく、ウィークデイは今までどおりに起きてまずはシャワーを浴びるとか、家族で犬の散歩をするなど、出来る範囲で行動するのも良いと思います。２．不安になるメディアに接する時間を減らす。特に寝る前などは、コロナ関係のテレビやニュース関連はやめて、リラックスできる音楽を聴いたり安心できるパートナーや友だちと電話でお話しするのも良いと思います。３．ポジティブ思考の応用。グラスの水が半分あると見るか半分ないかと見るかで、気持ちは変わります。同様に、「コロナだしLAにスタックしてどこにも行けない」という思考は悲しくなり落ち込みますが、「コロナだけど、LAは青空で散歩が楽しめるこの事実に感謝」と思うことで気分は少し楽になったりもします。もちろん失業したりご家族が重病だったりと状況はさまざまで一概には言えませんが、出来る範囲での思考の転換は大切だと思います。

CBT Presentation at NAMI South Bay

Miwa Hitsumoto, Executive & Clinical Director of the Center for Japanese Mental Health, spoke before the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) South Bay’s Japanese Support Group on the topic of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on November 10, 2019 at the Redac Gateway Hotel in Torrance, CA before a full room...

Missing Link between Pain and Depression

Clinicians have long known of a link between chronic pain and depression, but neuroscience researchers at Hokkaido University recently published research which documents the precise brains mechanism by which it happens and possible treatments for breaking the link. The researchers found that persistent pain caused changes in the neuronal pathway...

CJMH at NAMI South Bay

CJMH clinical director, Miwa Hitsumoto PhD, LMFT, will be joining the NAMI South Bay Japanese Support Group for their November 10, 2019 meeting to conduct a mini-seminar on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its application for clinical cases and the achievement of non-clinical, commonplace goals. This meeting is being held at...

World Mental Health Day, Suicide Prevention

Today, October 10, 2019, is World Mental Health Day and this year the focus is on Suicide Prevention. That’s a cause that’s near and dear to us. Read more about World Mental Health Day Get CJMH’s Suicide Prevention Guidelines for Japanese people

Stampin’ Up! steps up as a corporate donor

Stampin’ Up! is a Utah USA-based company that produces handmade cards, papercrafting projects, memory keeping, and home décor and sells them through a network of independent sales consultants called Demonstrators. You’ll find their demonstrators, and products, in the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, the...

Vlogger spurs discussion on suicide

1/18/2018 YouTube Vlogger Logan Paul posted a controversial video on December 31, 2017, showing the corpse of a suicide victim as he hung from a tree, all the while cracking jokes with his entourage after they ventured off the marked path into the restricted areas of Aokigahara Forest, a.k.a. one...

40th anniversary of the Victim Witness Assistance Program

CJMH exhibited and helped to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Victim-Witness Assistance Program at a commemorative walk and resource fair at on Saturday, April 8th from 9am til 2pm. The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) can help pay bills and expenses that result from certain violent crimes, including psychological...

CJMH becomes USC MFT approved training site

CJMH was thrilled to be invited to present our training opportunities at USC Rossier School of Education’s MFT job placement fair on February 3, 2017. This year’s cohort of approximately 40 Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy program students were looking for trainee opportunities, and about 25 local agencies presented....

Japan’s mental health, still not much improved

The following article was published by Japan Times contributor Roger Pulvers on Feb 12, 2012. Nearly five years later, the situation has not improved by much. Here’s the article in full: The greatest public health issue facing the people of Japan today is not cancer. It is not vascular diseases than can...

Japan relief workers suffer depression and PTSD

The stress of putting in long work hours for recovery operations in the aftermath of earthquakes that rocked the prefecture in April is taking its toll on the mental health of city officials here. Some staff in Kumamoto Prefecture municipalities have already taken temporary leave from work due to bouts...

CJMH fundraising event in Pasadena

Board member Dr Helen Chen and her daughter/volunteer Christina Kurohara hosted a charity fundraiser for the Center for Japanese Mental Health this Sunday, February 21, 2016 at their Pasadena home. Friends, community members, and supporters attended to purchase goods and services with proceeds benefiting our charity. Master hairstylist Fredy Arboleda...

CJMH becomes CAMFT-approved CEU provider

CJMH is now a certified provider of continuing education by CAMFT, the California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). CJMH will offer quality continuing education as a means to ensure practice competence and professional growth for providers of psychological counseling including Licensed...

Japan marginalizes mentally ill

Japan has marginalized those considered mentally ill for a long time and has developed a stigma against it. Previously, mentally ill Japanese prisoners were ordered to be executed. Today, the Japanese are taught to endure their mental issues privately, rather than to seek help from doctors. Japan has one of...

Japan’s Mental Health Crisis

The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 affected the mental health of individuals in the regions directly impacted by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters and throughout Japan, spreading fear and concern to all Japanese living in and outside Japan. This further exacerbated the existing dearth of mental health services...

Harajuku Girls Project

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Gender inequity persists in Japan while economic and political opportunities for women remain substantially lower than those for men. Societal norms continue to denigrate Japanese...

Suicide Prevention

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Japan has long battled one of the highest suicide rates in the industrialized world. In 2013, its national rate of suicide stood at 21.4 deaths...

End Stigma

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A conservative estimate of 1 in 5 people in Japan will experience one form or more of depression in their lifetime. Even greater numbers will...

Caregiver support

Caregiver Support

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Caregivers, whether professional or unpaid family members, often experience physical, mental, and emotional strain as a result of their care-taking and suffer from stress, anxiety,...

Teletherapy / Remote Counseling

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CJMH offers telephone and video counseling to Japanese-speaking clients outside the Greater Los Angeles area, particularly to caregivers, relief workers and social workers assisting in...

Isolated Seniors

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An article published by the NIH National Institute on Aging on April 23, 2019 starts: “Human beings are social creatures. Our connection to others enables...

Research

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Mental health stigma persists in Japan, so it’s no surprise to learn there is very little research and collected data about Japanese mental health statistics...

General Fund

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Our counselors and volunteers are the most visible representatives of CJMH and they are our heart and soul, working directly with the Japanese community that...