抄録
Three objectives were pursued in this paper. The first objective is to describe actual conditions of adolescent suicides (age: 10 to 19 years old) within the area of Tokyo 23 Special Wards in comparison with the nationwide data. The interrelations among the attributes involved in adolescent suicides were investigated for the second objective. We have then, for the third objective, made some inquiry into the social conditions that give birth to adolescent suicides. The data of adolescent suicides in Tokyo 23 Special wards were collected from the medical examiner's reports of the Tokyo Municipal Medical Examiner's Office in the period of 1973-1978. Some findings were derived from the analysis. Students consisted of the majority of adolescent suicides. We were not able to find the peak of suicides to appear in the same month as the one generally found. The more frequently-used method of suicide was "jumping off", which might be a reflectien of regional characteristics of Tokyo, as "jumpiyg off" was not the most common method in the nationwide data. Homes were found to the site of suicide for more than half of the cases except the young female adolescent gruop (age:to 10--14 years old). Suicide notes or letters were left behind in fewer cases, compared with the nationwide data. Two interesting interrelations among the attributes were found. Firstly, suicides were generally committed in the residing wards. There was, however, a difference by sex. Females were somewhat more likely to leave their residing wards when committing suicides. Secondly, difference by sex were found in the rate of Suicide notes left behind when crossed by month and time of the day. Females showed marked variation in the rate of Suicide note leaving both by month and by time of the day. Males showed no such variation. This suggests the possibility that female suicidal behavior has a different structure from male suicidal behavior. We were not able to find one social condition that is critical to adolescent suicides. This indicates that adolescent suicides are the result of a complex network of various social conditions. In conclusion, community works are recommended as effective measures against adolescent suicides.Differences in suicidal behavior by sex should also be taken into consideration in future policy making.
