TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Frequency and clinical features of patients who attempted suicide by hara-kiri in Japan
JO  - Journal of forensic sciences
A1  - Kato, Koji
A1  - Kimoto, Keitaro
A1  - Kimoto, Kousuke
A1  - Takahashi, Yuki
A1  - Sato, Reiko
A1  - Matsumoto, Hideo
SP  - 1303
EP  - 1306
VL  - 59
IS  - 5
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 0022-1198
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12411
ID  - ref1
ER  -