At the 84th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society of Public Health, Representative Ando reported on the findings of a survey regarding youth in need of support. (October 30, 2025, Round Table in Shizuoka City)
Additionally, as an interactive project, a “Table Tennis Volleyball” session was held on October 30, which was enjoyed by many participants.
Summary of the Report
While the support system for youth facing life difficulties and hardships is evolving (such as through revisions to the Child Welfare Act), it is still in its developmental stage. This report analyzed a 2025 survey (preliminary study) of youth utilizing a specific support organization. (Some results were compared with the “Survey on the Attitudes and Lives of Children and Youth (2023).”)
Key Findings:
1. Youth using the surveyed support organization tended to have lower self-esteem and a lower sense of self-usefulness compared to youth in the national survey. They also tended to feel less affection and greater loneliness.
2. The results suggested that support organizations have the potential to provide users with mental peace as well as practical life support regarding employment and medical care.
While this survey focused on users of a single organization in Hiroshima Prefecture, there are plans to expand the survey to users of other organizations supporting youth in Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider support for youth facing difficulties who do not or cannot utilize support organizations.
*This report makes secondary use of data from a survey conducted by the Hiroshima–Okayama Youth Support Network during February–March 2025. We are deeply grateful for their cooperation.
Reference Materials (Excerpt)
