Frequency and clinical features of patients who attempted suicide by charcoal burning in Japan

Abstract Background To date, the clinical features between patients in Japan who have attempted suicide by charcoal burning and those who have attempted suicide by other methods in the context of a mental disorder diagnosis as assessed by structured interviews have not been reported. Methods We enrolled 647 consecutive patients who attempted suicide and were hospitalized for inpatient treatment. Psychiatric diagnoses, frequency of suicide attempts, and clinical features were compared between charcoal burning and other suicide methods. Results Twenty of the 647 patients (3.1%) had attempted suicide by charcoal burning. The ratio of men to women was significantly higher by this method compared with that of other methods. The proportion of patients with mood disorders was significantly higher in the charcoal burning group than that in the other methods group. The occurrence of a psychiatric history in patients in the charcoal burning group was significantly lower than that in the other methods group. Limitations The study sample was limited to a single hospital. Conclusions The results demonstrate the clinical characteristics of patients who attempted suicide by charcoal burning. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the clinical features of patients who have attempted suicide by charcoal burning in Japan.