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Exploration Of Factors Related To Hara-Kiri As A Method Of Suicide And Suicidal Behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

M. Takai ,
K. Yamamoto ,
Y. Iwamitsu ,
S. Miyaji ,
H. Yamamoto ,
S. Tatematsu ,
M. Yukawa ,
A. Ide ,
Y. Kamijo  and
K. Soma
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M. Takai*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Psychology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
K. Yamamoto
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Y. Iwamitsu
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Psychology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
S. Miyaji
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
H. Yamamoto
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
S. Tatematsu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
M. Yukawa
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
A. Ide
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Y. Kamijo
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
K. Soma
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
H. Miyaoka
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University, School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-shi, 228-8555Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +81 42 778 7959; fax: +81 42 778 7691. E-mail address: [email protected] (M. Takai).
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Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with hara-kiri as a method of suicide and suicidal behavior in contemporary Japan.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on medical records of 421 patients (174 male; 247 female) who were considered suicidal and treated at the Kitasato University Hospital Emergency Medical Center in Japan between January 2006 and March 2008. We compared hara-kiri and all other methods regarding sociodemographics and clinical features of all suicidal patients.

Results

Instances of hara-kiri suicide attempt had the highest proportion of males (63%) among all suicide and suicidal behavior. One-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences between hara-kiri and other suicide attempt methods in the age of the suicidal patients. Result of multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that those who attempted hara-kiri suicide were likely to be male, be diagnosed with schizophrenia, survive, and be married.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that hara-kiri as a method of suicide and suicidal behavior remain prevalent in Japan, and the study findings also suggest that both clinical and cultural factors might play a role in hara-kiri as a method of suicide and suicidal behavior.

Keywords

SuicideSocial and cross-cultural psychiatryHara-kiri
Type
Suicidology
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 25 , Issue 7 , November 2010 , pp. 409 - 413
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2019

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