Factors influencing suicidal ideation among Japanese adults: from the national survey by the Cabinet Office.

AIM

Suicide prevention is of pressing importance in Japan, and grappling with this problem necessitates clarifying the causes of suicidal ideation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate several factors influencing suicidal ideation. This was done through analyzing factors examined in prior research and accessing suicide sites.

METHODS

A total of 1080 randomly selected adults were asked about stress, stress release, social support sources, depression, access of suicides sites, and suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

Around 6% of men in their 20s and 30s as well as 7% of people with suicide ideations had accessed suicide sites on the web. Those with suicide ideations were more likely to access suicide sites than those without. There was no sex difference in suicide ideations. The results concerning factors influencing past-year suicide ideations revealed that there were age and sex differences in these factors.

CONCLUSION

For men in their 20s through their 50s, accessing suicide sites influenced suicidal ideations through depression, and for women in the same age bracket, emotional support influenced suicidal ideations through depression. For men and women over the age of 60, depression strongly influenced suicidal ideations.