Changes in suicide rates in disaster-stricken areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake and their effect on economic factors: an ecological study

Abstract

Objective Devastating disasters may increase suicide rates due to mental distress. Previous domestic studies have reported decreased suicide rates among men following disasters. Few reports are available regarding factors associated with disasters, making it difficult to discuss how these events affect suicide rates. This study aimed to observe changes in suicide rates in disaster-stricken and neighboring areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake, and examine associations between suicide rates and economic factors. Methods Monthly suicide rates were observed from March 2009 to February 2013, during which time the earthquake occurred on March, 2011. Data were included from disaster-stricken (Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures) and neighboring (control: Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata Prefectures) areas. The association between changes in suicide rates and economic variables was evaluated based on the number of bankruptcy cases and ratio of effective job offers. Results In disaster-stricken areas, post-disaster male suicide rates decreased during the 24 months following the earthquake. This trend differed relative to control areas. Female suicide rates increased during the first seven months. Multiple regression analysis showed that bankruptcy cases (b = 0.386, p = 0.038) and ratio of effective job offers (b = -0.445, p = 0.018) were only significantly associated with male post-disaster suicide rates in control areas.Conclusion Post-disaster suicide rates differed by gender following the earthquake. Our findings suggest that considering gender differences might be important for developing future post-disaster suicide prevention measures. This ecological study revealed that increasing effective job offers and decreasing bankruptcy cases can affect protectively male suicide rates in control areas.

Earthquake-related stressors associated with suicidality, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress in adolescents from Muisne after the earthquake 2016 in Ecuador

“…The influence of a natural disaster on the risk of committing suicide has been investigated before [12][13][14][15]. While some research suggest a reduction in suicide risk during the first few months or years after the disaster [16,17], other studies suggest an increase in suicide related deaths after such events [13,18].…”

Suicide rates during social crises: Changes in the suicide rate in Japan after the Great East Japan earthquake and during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Previous studies on suicide rates after the Great East Japan Earthquake have observed a decline in suicide rates in the affected areas ( Chen et al, 2016 ; Masaki et al, 2018 ; Orui et al, 2015 ). There are reports that the suicide rate among men increased in the year of the earthquake ( Orui et al, 2018 ), and conversely, that the suicide rate among women did not increase ( Orui et al, 2014 , 2018 ). In this study, we reconfirmed the decrease in the suicide rate in the disaster-affected areas; however, we observed an increase in the suicide rate in the areas that were less affected by the earthquake.…”

“…One study showed that male suicide rates in the affected areas increased significantly immediately after the earthquake, whereas female suicide rates declined slightly during the first year after the disaster ( Orui et al, 2018 ). Another study reported an increase in post-earthquake suicide rates among women, and a decrease in these rates among men ( Orui et al, 2014 ). A report showed that the suicide rate in the disaster area after the earthquake (which occurred at a time when the suicide rate in the entire country was on the rise) was relatively lower than that in the other areas ( Chen et al, 2016 ).…”

Ecological Disasters and Mental Health: Causes, Consequences, and Interventions

“…As health, financial, occupational, and family stressors mount, coping resources may be exhausted. Suicidal thoughts and behavior increase after disasters and result from a milieu of pre-and post-disaster factors that overwhelm the ability to cope (25)(26)(27). Of note, some research has observed suicidal thoughts and behavior to diminish moderately from baseline in the early weeks and months following a community disaster (consistent with the "Honeymoon" phase of community recovery; see below), but then increase from baseline during the ensuing months and years.…”