Citation

Inoue K, Fujita Y, Sakuta A. Int. Med. J. 2008; 15(4): 265-268.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Design and Materials and Methods: Japan has a high suicide rate, ranking tenth in the world. The suicide rate in Australia is relatively low in comparison with other countries. In Japan as well as other countries, most important events occurred after 1990. Therefore, in the present study, we researched the annual suicide, unemployment, GDP growth, and divorce rates and compared each of these between Japan, which has a high suicide rate, and Australia, which had a low suicide rate during 1990-2000. Additionally, we assessed the correlation of the suicide rates with the unemployment, GDP growth, and divorce rates in both Japan and Australia.

RESULTS and Conclusion: During the study period in Japan, the annual suicide rates correlated significantly with the annual unemployment rates: r(11) = 0.92, F(1,9) = 53.12, and p < 0.001 (y = 3.48x + 7.93), while they did not correlate with the annual GDP growth rates: r(11) = 0.52 and p = 0.10 (y = -1.00x + 20.82). Moreover, the annual suicide rates correlated significantly with the annual divorce rates: r(11) = 0.91, F(1,9) = 43.59, and p < 0.001 (y = 12.68x - 1.87). In Australia, the annual suicide rates did not correlate with the annual unemployment (r(11) = 0.28 and p = 0.40 (y = -0.16x + 14.28)), GDP growth (r(11) = 0.02 and p = 0.96 (y = 0.01x + 12.93)), and divorce rates (r(11) = 0.19 and p = 0.58 (y = 1.49x + 8.93)). Therefore, each country's administration, medical staff, police, and citizens should pay close attention to the increase in suicide rates when the unemployment and divorce rates show an increasing trend, particularly in countries that already have a high suicide rate, such as Japan. © 2008 Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation.

Language: en

Keywords

Australia; human; suicide; Suicide; Japan; police; Unemployment; unemployment; article; comparative study; major clinical study; attention; social aspect; medical staff; correlation analysis; divorce; Divorce; citizenship