According to a report by the Japanese Cabinet Office, approximately 3 million people in the country suffer from mental illness and related diseases. It is for the first time since 2005 that the number of mentally disabled people topped 3 million.

Approximately 3.028 million Japanese were diagnosed with mental illness. Japan's population in 2005 was 127 million. The last such data on people with disabilities was issued in 2002.

There is no particular reason as to why there has been a sudden increase in the number but the report says that one of the reasons could an increase in the number of mental health care facilities and other treatment options that encourages such patients to come forward and be counted.

According to AP reports, the Japanese government has expressed its concern over the number of mental illness cases and in this regard issued orders to relax restrictions on compensation allowing more people suffering from depression or stress-related illnesses to qualify for help.

Additionally, the government has also funded many programs to aid people suffering from depression and other mental illnesses. The report called addictions, Alzheimer's disease, depression, epilepsy and stress-related disabilities as the forms of mental illness.