title: Frequency and clinical features of patients who attempted suicide by Hara-Kiri in Japan.
abstract: Hara-kiri is a unique Japanese custom, primarily stemming from the manners and customs that a samurai held. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical features of individuals who attempted suicide by hara-kiri. We enrolled 647 patients who had attempted suicide. Clinical features were compared between those who had employed hara-kiri and those who had used other methods. 25 of the 647 subjects had attempted suicide by hara-kiri. The ratio of men to women and the proportion of patients with mood disorders were significantly higher in the hara-kiri group than in the other methods group. The average length of stay in either the hospital or in the intensive care unit was also longer in the hara-kiri group than in the other methods group. Hara-kiri is an original Japanese method of attempting suicide, and suicide attempts by hara-kiri may be aimed at maintaining a reputation or taking responsibility.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa, 259-1143, Japan.
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Kato
authors: Keitaro
authors: K
authors: Kimoto
authors: Kousuke
authors: K
authors: Kimoto
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Takahashi
authors: Reiko
authors: R
authors: Sato
authors: Hideo
authors: H
authors: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000208:ethnology*
keywords: Japan; depression; forensic science; hara-kiri; suicide attempts