@article{ref1,
title="Frequency and clinical features of patients who attempted suicide by hara-kiri in Japan",
journal="Journal of forensic sciences",
year="2014",
author="Kato, Koji and Kimoto, Keitaro and Kimoto, Kousuke and Takahashi, Yuki and Sato, Reiko and Matsumoto, Hideo",
volume="59",
number="5",
pages="1303-1306",
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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-1198",
doi="10.1111/1556-4029.12411",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12411"
}