Through a grant provided by Zoom Cares, Light Ring furthered its efforts to assist children and young adults at risk of suicide. Learn more about Light Ring and Zoom Cares’ impact below.
About Light Ring
Based in Tokyo, Japan, Light Ring focuses on the prevention and early intervention of mental illness and suicide among young adults. Through a multi-pronged approach, Light Ring aims to create a stigma-free social system where young people have the tools to support each other. The social relations built then have the potential to provide a first point of contact for youths facing mental disorders like depression.
Light Ring sees younger generations as Japan’s legacy and future alike. By focusing on those who uplift youth, Light Ring can continue to provide better care for those who can one day be the next generation of leaders. A supportive community is crucial to mental wellness. Light Ring provides social assistance and support to family members, friends, and colleagues of people struggling with mental illness. Light Ring trains and provides social assistance and support to “gatekeepers,” family members, friends, and colleagues of people struggling with mental illness. By going through Light Ring training, the gatekeepers are better able to understand the issues faced by people suffering mental disorders and in turn, learn how to better offer support.
Light Ring creates these robust support systems with the understanding that suicides are on the rise due to feelings of isolation and loneliness. One way Light Ring expands its mission of building a caring community free of stigma is by hosting training sessions on the importance of listening and self-caring for youth gatekeepers. Bringing together a team of youth support specialists, including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, Light Ring hosts 5-point trainings to teach community volunteers basic knowledge of mental illness symptoms common in adolescents, including more specific education around anxiety disorders and self-injury.
“We build communities that focus on mental health and wellness to prevent suicide in young adults. Rooted in an understanding that support systems are key for prevention and intervention, our communities provide the social assistance needed to save the lives of our youth.”
Ayaka Ishii, Founder & Representative Director of Light Ring
Light Ring & Zoom Cares
Light Ring views health as the premise of happiness, and its initiatives focus on mental health and wellness as the primary method of mental illness prevention for young adults.
With the support of a Zoom Cares grant, Light Ring was able to conduct its ringS program for 180 gatekeepers. The Zoom Cares grant enabled Light Ring to welcome more suicide prevention gatekeepers, also known as suicide prevention agents, into its community. Through this expanded programming, Light Ring is able to reach more at-risk youth throughout additional areas of Japan. As a key nonprofit partner of the Japanese government’s Loneliness and Suicide Countermeasure, Light Ring continues to help the government combat loneliness and suicides on the national scale.
How Light Ring Delivers Impact
To date, Light Ring has trained over 10,000 gatekeepers, who are each responsible for at least three at-risk children or adolescents in their neighborhood. With the expansion of trained individuals in more locations, Light Ring has the ability to support more than 450 people in each community.
With each effort, Light Ring aims to save invaluable lives of Japanese youth with the help of their support networks.
“From now on, I will be aware not only of statements and surroundings of individuals, but also of their behavior and vibes — I will try to step in and speak to the person with potential suicidality.”
— M.I., Former student who recognized S.O.S. from her sister with schizophrenia
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Learn more about Light Ring, and how you can support their mission.