title: A Long-term Study of the Association between the Relative Poverty Rate and Suicide Rate in Japan.
abstract: The annual number of suicides in Japan totaled around 23,000 in 1997 and abruptly increased to around 31,000 in 1998. This figure has remained high since then. This abrupt increase in the number of suicides was primarily due to an increase in suicides occasioned by economic concerns. The association between various economic factors and suicide must be studied in detail and over the long term in order to ascertain the association between economic concerns and suicide. This study examined the relative poverty rate and the suicide rate in Japan over 30 years and discussed the association between those two rates. The results suggest that the relative poverty rate may be associated with the suicide rate for both sexes. This association is true for men in particular. The organizations and professionals involved in implementing suicide prevention measures should be cognizant of the current findings and consider formulating additional specific measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuntaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujihara
authors.affiliation: Shimane University Health Service Center Izumo, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ezoe
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sampei
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Michinoo Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.|Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsushige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D013405:Suicide / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Japan; association; forensic science; poverty; study; suicide