Comparison of completed and attempted suicide in Akita, Japan

To determine the factors underlying suicide in Akita prefecture, a questionnaire survey was conducted among members of the Akita Prefectural Medical Association (APMA), regarding suicide cases they attended. During the investigation period (1 July 2001-30 June 2002), the total number of suicide cases was 243 (138 completed, 105 attempted). Significant differences were identified between completed and attempted suicide groups in terms of gender, age distribution, and suicidal methods. Specifically, in the completed suicide group, the number of male completers exceeded that of female completers, the number of middle-aged or elderly completers was high, and the majority of completed suicide cases involved hanging as the suicide method. Conversely, in the attempted suicide group, the number of female attempters exceeded that of male attempters, younger attempters were frequent, hanging was rare, and drug overdose or cutting was common. In addition, the number of cases involving a history of previous suicide attempts was significantly higher in the attempted suicide group than in the completed suicide group. The results of the present study support the concept that the completed and attempted suicide groups are essentially of a different nature. Furthermore, the number of cases involving a history of previous suicide attempts was found to be significantly lower in the completed suicide group than in the attempted suicide group. This result indicates the difficulty in decreasing the number of completed suicides by simply providing intervention and care for individuals who have attempted suicide.