Ryo Abe

Influence on the suicide rate two years after a devastating disaster: A report from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

Aims:  The relationship between suicide and disaster is an important problem but its not clear. We conducted this study to determine whether a natural disaster affects suicide rates.

Economic slump and suicide method: preliminary study in Kobe.

Abstract  During the recent half decade, Japans suicide rate at approximately 25 deaths per 100 000 people has been one of the highest rates in the world. From the perspective of suicide prevention by restricting access to suicidal means, the aim of the present study was to examine what kind of suicidal method increased during prolonged economic slump. During 21 years (1981–2001), for all suicide victims (5161 cases) the gender, age, and suicide methods were investigated. The yearly full unemployment rate was also used as a representative socioeconomic factor during the same periods in Japan using government statistics, and the relationship between methods of suicide and full unemployment rate was investigated. Pearsons correlation suggested that there was a significant correlation only for hanging rate (r = 0.736, P < 0.001), but not for the percentages of other methods of suicide. This finding that unemployed persons may have a susceptibility towards certain suicide methods could help in the prevention of suicides. Mental health in Japan should be given more attention, especially for the working population, and social programs offering help should be considered widely.

Incidence of note-leaving remains constant despite increasing suicide rates

Abstract  Suicide notes (SN) are potentially valuable sources of information about the psychological states of the suicidal person. It was hypothesized that there was a significant relation between suicide rate and note‐leaving rate and that the incidence of note‐leaving was increased during prolonged economic recession. During 21 years (1981–2001) in Kobe, of a total of 18 558 violent deaths, 5161 were due to suicide (27.8%), with 3417 male cases (66.2%) and 1754 female cases (33.8%). For each year the annual suicide rates and note‐leaving rates were calculated, and this represents the percentage of committed suicides in which SN were left, among all suicide victims. In spite of the prolonged economic slump, the note‐leaving rate remained almost constant (23.4–36.2%). Pearsons correlation coefficient showed no significant correlation between suicide rate and note‐leaving rates (r = 0.27, P = 0.23). The finding that the incidence of note‐leaving remains constant despite increasing suicide rates may suggest that the reasons for suicide do not affect note‐leaving. There are cross‐cultural, ethnic, and racial variations in suicidal behaviors. Although this finding may be specific in Japan, further studies of SN are needed to help clarify the suicidal states of mind.

Decreased leftward bias of prefrontal activity in autism spectrum disorder revealed by functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

Hemodynamic responses in rostral prefrontal cortex (RoPFC) were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Although performance level was equal, autistic patients showed a decrease in leftward bias of the balance between right and left RoPFC activity when compared with typically developing children when anatomical imitation was contrasted with mirror-image imitation.