[Characteristics of Suicides According to Prehospital Records in Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture].

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to investigate suicides, both completed and attempted, in communities according to prehospital records.METHODS:A total of 246 suicide attempts made by 196 persons were confirmed by examination of the pre-hospital records of Kishiwada City Fire and Emergency Department between April 2004 and March 2006. We investigated these cases for distribution of sex, age, suicide methods, month, day of the week and the time emergency services were called.RESULTS:Within the group of 196 persons, completed suicides accounted for 52 (32 males and 20 females), and attempted suicides for 144 (32 males and 112 females). Female suicide attempts were often repeated during the period of the investigation. Completed male suicides were middle-aged or elderly, while completed female suicides were mainly in their forties. Attempted male suicides showed a wide age distribution, while almost all attempted female suicides were in their twenties or thirties. The most common methods for completed male suicides were hanging and gassing, while those for completed female suicides were hanging and jumping. The most common methods of attempted male and female suicides were slashing of an arm or a leg, and drug overdose. As for month of the year, completed male suicides often occurred in April, May and June, while completed females suicides were often committed in November. Attempted male suicides often occurred in July, August, and September, while attempted female suicides often occurred in January, August, and September. As for the day of the week, completed male suicides frequently occurred on Monday and Wednesday, while those by females were most often perpetrated on Sunday. Attempted male suicides were often committed on Friday, while attempted female suicides were often performed on Monday and Tuesday. As for the time emergency services were called, for completed suicides, these were often in early morning to afternoon for both male and female victims. For attempted male suicides, they were typically in the morning and evening, and quite a few females attempted suicide in the morning.CONCLUSION:Most suicide attempts for which ambulances were dispatched were committed by females. Females attempting suicide were younger than their male counterparts, and they frequently made repeated suicide attempts. Introduction of measures for suicide prevention considering these points is a high priority.