Abstract
In Japan, the number of suicide in young has increased by 44 % last year and became a public concern in addition to vicious crimes. We previously reported that the Japanese children had significantly more frequent physical and psychiatric complaint than did the Swedish children and that the number of children who want to die was higher in Japan than in Sweden using a self-rating psychosomatic and psychosocial inventory. In this study we further analyzed psychosocial background in children with wish for suicide. The study population comprised 742 Japanese children(375 boys and 367 girls)and 1120 Swedish children (566 boys and 554 girls) attending public compulsory schools grade 4 to grade 9(10-15 years). Multiple regression analysis was applied for the question "wish for suicide" as a dependent variable. Children answered "yes" accounted for 3.3 % and 6.9 % in Japanese elementary school and junior high school, respectively, whereas 1.9 % and 2.8 % in Sweden, respectively. Most influencing psychosocial facors were quarrel between parents and being mobbed at school in Japanese children and this was at variance with Swedish children. This finding was consistent with the report by the governmet regarding of complete suicide in adolescents. We conclude that a review of child rearing and education is necessary as a matter of the top priority for the Japanese pepole.
