Is Consumer Spending an Indicator of Changes in the Suicide Rate? - A Study Based on Trends in Tsu City

The number of suicides in Japan increased in 1998 and has remained high ever since, despite a slight decline in recent years. The relationships between suicide rates and social, economic, and lifestyle factors must be examined in detail. This study
examined age-adjusted suicide rates and average monthly household consumer spending per household in Tsu City from 1991 to 2005, and performed single regression analysis to assess the relationship between these indices. During the period studied, trends in consumer spending were not an indicator of changes in the suicide rate. Factors related to suicide should continue to be studied in detail.