title: Suicidal behavior among homeless people in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency and correlates of suicidal behavior among homeless people in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A face-to-face survey was conducted in two districts of Tokyo, Japan, with 423 subjects who resided on streets and riversides and in urban parks and stations (street homeless) or who were residents of shelters, cheap hotels, or welfare homes for homeless people (sheltered homeless).
  
  
  RESULTS
  When questioned about suicidal ideation in the previous 2 weeks, 51 subjects (12.2% of valid responses) had a recurring wish to die, 29 (6.9%) had frequent thoughts of suicide, and 22 (5.3%) had made suicide plans. In addition, 11 (2.9%) subjects had attempted suicide in the previous 2 weeks and 74 (17.7%) reported that they had ever attempted suicide. In univariate logistic regression analyses, street homelessness, lack of perceived emotional social support, poor subjective health perception, visual impairment, pain, insomnia, poor mental well-being, and current depression were significantly associated with recurrent thoughts of suicide in the previous 2 weeks. Among these, current depression had the greatest significance. In multivariate logistic regression analyses after controlling for depression, street homelessness and lack of perceived emotional social support were significantly associated with recurrent thoughts of suicide in the previous 2 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comprehensive interventions including housing and social support as well as mental health services might be crucial as effective strategies for suicide prevention among homeless people.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan, jacksonville1977@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Kae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Suimei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014041:Tokyo