Developmental Pathology of Suicide

Abstract

We analyze the influence of demographic structure on suicide. The number of births in the 1880s, 1926-34, 1947-49 and 1971-74 are greater than those of neighboring generations. The suicide rates of these generations are also higher than those of neighboring generations in Japan. This phenomenon (the suicide rates of large-population generations being higher than those of small-population generations) has also been observed in Finland, the United States, and other advanced nations, but the age dependency of suicide varies from country to country. When the large population generation approaches a specific age, the number of suicides is expected to increase very rapidly. It is thus important to consider demographic structure to develop effective suicide prevention plans.