Gender differences in suicide attempters: a retrospective study of precipitating factors for suicide attempts at a critical emergency unit in Japan

Table 2 Precipitating factors of suicide attempts and gender differences

	Total	Males	Females	Significance
	(N = 193)	(N = 88)	(N = 105)
Age ± SD	41.1 ± 16.3	42.4 ± 16.3	40.1 ± 16.4	NS^§
Mean number of precipitating factors ± SD	1.11 ± 0.78	1.20 ± 0.87	1.04 ± 0.69	NS^§
Under psychiatric treatment	131	50	81	p = 0.003^¶	χ² = 9.070
Employment status
Employed	60	39	21	p = 0.000^¶	χ² = 13.216
Unemployed	97	39	58	NS^¶
Housewife or house-husband	17	0	17	p = 0.000^¶	χ² = 15.624
Student	19	10	9	NS^¶
Methods of suicide attempt
Drug overdose	101	36	65	p = 0.004^¶	χ² = 8.460
Jumping from a high place	33	17	16	NS^¶
Cutting	16	10	6	NS^¶
Poisonous gas	15	13	2	p = 0.001^¶	χ² = 11.060
Hanging	11	7	4	NS^¶
Poisoning	9	4	5	NS^†
Other methods	11	2	9	NS^¶
DSM-IV-TR
Substance-induced disorders	16	11	5	NS^¶
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders	45	22	23	NS^¶
Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder	42	26	16	p = 0.016^¶	χ² = 5.756
Dysthymic disorder	26	7	19	p = 0.040^¶	χ² = 4.224
Adjustment disorders	27	13	14	NS^¶
Personality disorders	22	2	20	p = 0.000^¶	χ² = 13.339
Other psychiatric disorders	14	6	8	NS^¶
None	11	6	5	NS^¶
Precipitating factors
Family problems	62	20	42	p = 0.010^¶	χ² = 6.551
Parent–child relations	14	2	12	p = 0.015^¶	χ² = 5.965
Health problems	8	7	1	p = 0.024^†
Financial problems	40	24	16	p = 0.040^¶	χ² = 4.220
Debt (others)	4	4	0	p = 0.042^†
Work problems	27	18	9	p = 0.018^¶	χ² = 5.618
Unwanted transfer	4	4	0	p = 0.042^†
Love problems	20	7	13	NS^¶
School problems	6	3	3	NS^†
Other problems	29	12	17	NS^¶
Loneliness	12	2	10	p = 0.038^¶	χ² = 4.317

ISSN: 1471-244X