title: Influence on the suicide rate two years after a devastating disaster: a report from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship between suicide and disaster is an important problem but it's not clear. We conducted this study to determine whether a natural disaster affects suicide rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data on suicides during the 84 months before and the 60 months after the earthquake and compared the suicide rate in Kobe to that in Japan as a whole. We also examined what groups were significantly affected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with Japan as a whole, the suicide rates in Kobe significantly decreased in the 2 years after the earthquake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An influence on suicide rate after the disaster clearly appeared in middle-aged men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan. a-nishio@qa3.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Kouhei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akazawa
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nushida
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shioiri