Although Japan has made some progress in reducing the national rate of suicide, a new report from the Cabinet Office provides a clearer understanding of some of the causes for child suicide. The government’s study found a sharp increase in suicides for kids aged 18 and under during two periods of the year — the end of August to early September and in early April. Those two periods coincide with the end of school breaks and the beginning of school terms.

The survey also found that relatively few children committed suicide from late July to mid-August during the summer vacation, and that suicide rates were also lower in the March vacation time. Those findings seem to make a strong case for the connection between problems at school and suicidal feelings. School, and everything it stands for, can push some students toward depression, which can lead to self-destructive feelings. Depression, which is linked to suicide, may subside during vacation, only to re-emerge at the thought of returning to school.

The study indicates that increased vigilance about children is needed at these susceptible periods. Parents should be especially attentive to children’s moods and actions when the restart of school approaches. Parents need to be open to listening to students and taking time to hear what they have to say, rather than cranking up the expectations for academic success. Learning how to talk and listen to children during their vacation times is a difficult parenting skill, but one that is extremely important.

Children should know that a hotline has been established for them to call. That is especially important because vacation times can be isolating and lonely. Those hotlines can re-emphasize the understanding that no matter how badly things seem to be going, no matter how strong pressure becomes, there is always another choice than suicide.

Teachers have increasingly been trained to recognize the warning signs for suicidal behavior, but during vacation times, contact between students and teachers is reduced or non-existent. Students need their break time, but at-risk students need to have ongoing contact with adults who they trust, and who are observant and helpful.

The study also seems to indicate that broader changes are needed in the overall approach and atmosphere at Japanese schools. Schools need to help ensure students do not feel isolated or abandoned even during vacation times. Schools can do better to ensure that the start of school does not kick in fears of failure and pressures to succeed.

There is plenty of learning going on in Japanese schools. However, all too often that learning is linked to the push to excel and compete, a pressure that many students find hard to handle. Schools need to connect learning to exploration, creativity and individual growth, and establish an atmosphere filled with nurturance and care, as well as academic opportunity.