A non-profit organization is stepping up its social media based consultation service for children with mental problems as the summer vacation comes to an end.

Tokyo Mental Health Square says the number of suicides among children tends to increase around the period when classes resume after summer vacation. It also says it has relatively more requests for consultation from youngsters this time of the year.

Counselors say some junior high and high school students tell them they are worried about going back to school for the new school term because their friends seem to be avoiding them. Others reportedly say they feel scared of people's eyes and want to die because they were bullied before.

The NPO has doubled the number of counselors who deal with consultations through social media at night until September 4.

The head of the organization's counseling center, Shingyouchi Katsuyoshi, said he wants children to share their worries with someone and to try consultation services through social media.

He also said it is now a time of major change among children, and that he wants people who have contact with youngsters to observe them more carefully than usual.

The address of Tokyo Mental Health Square's website is https: //www.npo-tms.or.jp/. The group provides consultation through social media every day from noon to 3 p.m., from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. It is free of charge and no reservation is required. The service is available once a day for up to 50 minutes.