The Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s Japan-U.S. Program will host a lecture featuring Dr. Joshua Gordon, former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the United States, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Dr. Gordon is a leading figure in the field of mental health in the United States, with extensive experience in clinical practice, research, and policy. From 2016 to 2024, he led the NIMH, the world’s largest research institution in this field, playing a crucial role not only in research but also in the formulation and implementation of U.S. mental health policies. His contributions include expanding suicide prevention programs and promoting early detection and intervention policies for mental illnesses.
In this lecture, Dr. Gordon will discuss the theme of youth mental health. Interest in the mental health of children and young people has been growing worldwide in recent years. In Japan, the number of suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students has been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting youth mental health as a significant social issue. In the United States, mental health has become so severe that it is referred to as a “national crisis,” with youth mental health being one of the top priorities in healthcare policies. Recently, due to concerns about the impact on mental health, the Australian Parliament passed a bill banning the use of social media for children under the age of 16, which has become a topic of discussion.
With these circumstances in mind, following Dr. Gordon’s keynote presentation on the current state and challenges of youth mental health in the U.S., Professor Tadafumi Kato from Juntendo University and Dr. Hanako Jimi, a member of the House of Councillors and a physician, will join as panelists. They will discuss the issues that both Japan and the United States need to address, the necessary policies, and the potential for Japan-U.S. cooperation from a comparative perspective.
We look forward to your participation.