Comparative Study About Methods of Suicide Between Japan and the United States

This study sought to clarify differences in methods of suicide between Japan & the United States, among ethnic groups in the United States, & between genders & age-groups. Vital statistics mortality data & population estimates for 1999 were used. Age-adjusted suicide rates in Japan were about 2 times higher for males & 3 times higher for females compared with the United States. The most common method of suicide among both genders in Japan was hanging. In the United States, it was firearms. For Asians in the United States, hanging was the method used for about half among both genders. The overall suicide rate among Asians in the United States was lower than Japan but methods used in both countries were similar. (30 refs.)