Suicide in Japan: Part Thirteen - Do International Comparisons have any meaning?

J. Sean Curtin (Fellow, GLOCOM) and Earl H. Kinmonth (Professor, Taisho University)

A full list of articles in this series can be found here.

This is the fifth in a series of articles examining the latest suicide statistics.

In this article Earl Kinmonth and Sean Curtin discuss some of the problems that arise when comparing suicide statistics from different countries. An earlier article in this series also looked at some of the problems Japan has with determining whether a death can be classified as a suicide or not.

Earl Kinmonth: When comparing Japanese suicide rates with those in other countries, I would not completely trust US suicide statistics. The US is highly decentralized with no national police force. Local jurisdictions are under no strong obligation to report to the national government. Suicide, along with many social pathologies, is probably seriously under counted.

Sean Curtin: I agree with you that we must be extremely careful when making comparisons with suicide statistics from different countries. In an earlier article in this series I wrote, "It should be noted that comparing international rates of suicide is an inherently problematic process, because different countries have varying degrees of evidentiary standards when ascertaining whether a death can be classified as a suicide." The criteria for recording a death as suicide vary from country to country. For example, the US, France, Germany, Sweden and the UK all have their own unique evidentiary standards and procedures. Even so, we can clearly see that in recent years the Japanese suicide rate has risen considerably. Regardless of the inherent problems with international comparisons, it is still evident that the Japanese figures have risen alarmingly compared with other industrially advanced countries including the US.

Earl Kinmonth: Some British experts claim that there is an "epidemic" of self-harm (sometimes bungled suicide attempts) in Britain. I am pursuing this point because I think sometimes your articles lean rather too heavily on Japan-specific explanations.

Sean Curtin: It was most definitely not my intention to suggest that the problems outlined in my articles on the 2003 suicide statistics are in any way specific to Japan. I certainly do not write that anywhere or even try to imply it. Of course, all the issues mentioned in the series also exist in other countries. However, there is no escaping the fact that since 1998, suicide in Japan has shot up and become a much more serious issue for Japan. If we accept that international figures are only rough approximations, even by this standard compared with other industrially advanced nations Japan's suicide rate is now abnormally high.

With regard to cases of self-harm in Japan, according to the latest estimates, an average of ten suicides are reportedly attempted for every actual suicide. Additionally, it is also calculated that at least five people suffer psychologically in the wake of each case of actual or attempted suicide. This means last year in Japan, more than 1.7 million people were adversely affected by a suicide or attempted suicide. Therefore, I feel justified in highlighting the fact that suicide in Japan is a serious national problem.

Earl Kinmonth: According to a Guardian article, dated 11 September 2002, the chances of death by suicide in the UK are 1.7 times those of death by traffic accidents. Given the greater reliance on public transportation in Japan (and thus fewer traffic deaths), I'm not sure your comparison [in an earlier article in this series] has much meaning.

Sean Curtin: I must disagree with you here. For a start in the UK you are 1.7 times more likely to die by your own hand than in a car accident. In Japan the figure is about 4.5. That it is significantly higher than the UK figure and I do not believe that the figure can be solely attributed to a heavier reliance on public transport. I would also question whether an increased use of public transport leads to fewer road deaths. What research evidence is there to prove this? Furthermore, even if you could prove that in countries where there is a heavy reliance on public transport there are fewer road deaths, I still think you would need to do a detailed analysis of road deaths in Japan and the UK before you could satisfactorily prove your point.

A full list of articles in this series can be found here.

Related links

National Police Agency Suicide Report for 2003 (PDF Japanese)

Suicide also rises in the land of the rising sun
J. Sean Curtin, Asia Times, 28 July 2004

Suicides Reach Record High in 2003
Social Trends: Series #77, GLOCOM Platform, 5 August 2004

Youth and Rural Suicides on the Rise
Social Trends: Series #78, GLOCOM Platform, 13 August 2004

Comparing International Rates of Suicide
Social Trends: Series #79, GLOCOM Platform, 18 August 2004

Suicide in Japan: Part Four - Determining Suicide as the Cause of Death
J. Sean Curtin, Social Trends: Series #66, GLOCOM Platform, 13 January 2004

Stigma ties: Can changes in public policy have an impact on reducing suicides in Britain?
Angela Lambert, 11 September 2002, The Guardian