The authors examined the characteristics of suicides by charcoal-burning in Hong Kong, & explored links between macro-level economic & social changes with the subjective experiences of those surviving a charcoal-burning suicide attempt. They found that people who completed suicide by this method were more likely to have been economically active & physically healthy, & were less likely to have had pre-existing mental illness. They also found that media reports were pivotal in linking financial troubles with suicides by charcoal-burning. (33 refs)