The evolution of the characteristics of charcoal-burning suicide in Hong Kong, 2002–2013

Exploring characteristics of increased suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan using provisional governmental data

“…Furthermore, suicide by charcoal-burning was higher in single-person households and at home compared to suicide by other means. 18 Gatekeeper developmental programmes in regional suicide prevention programmes in Japan have contributed to decreasing SDRs for males by suppressing suicide by hanging and charcoal-burning. 16 Therefore, the effects of the regional suicide prevention programmes in Japan that previously contributed to reducing SDRs over the past decade have been attenuated by the isolation induced by several factors associated with the pandemic, such as social distancing measures, stay-at-home orders, or transformation of individuals’ lifestyles (increasing time spent at home) at the individuals’ discretion as aspects of COVID-19 prevention, negatively affecting mental health.…”

“… 16 , 17 Moreover, suicide by charcoal-burning is also more likely to occur in (single-person) households compared to other methods. 18 Additionally, pandemic duration was positively related to suicide mortality. 13 To illustrate, during the Spanish flu pandemic, suicide mortality in Taiwan, where people were advised to maintain a physical distance from individuals with influenza by the Japanese Colonial Government, was no higher than the predicted suicide mortality during the first wave (between October and December 1918) but significantly increased during the second wave (between January and March 1920).…”

An evaluation of the long‐term sustainability of suicide prevention programs in an offshore Island

“…It is thus easier to establish social supports and promote social cohesion in the neighborhoods of Cheung Chau than in Hong Kong. Social support has been shown to be protective for suicide, especially among older adults (Chang et al, 2019). Therefore, future prevention programs should focus on strengthening the social connection among residents such as establishing local social support groups, removing the stigma of seeking help, and encouraging mutual help among neighbors.…”

“…The majority of visitors (n = 29, 78.3%) ended their lives by charcoal burning. This novel method of suicide was first reported in 1997 in Hong Kong, and it has since spread to other places in Asia such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan (Chang et al, 2014(Chang et al, , 2019Chen et al, 2014Chen et al, , 2016.…”

Method-Specific Suicide Rates and Accessibility of Means

“…Suicides from carbon monoxide poisoning by burning barbecue charcoal in a sealed space increased markedly in Hong Kong and urban Taiwan from the late 1990s ( Liu et al, 2007 ). A recent study showed that people who died by charcoal-burning suicide were more likely to live alone than those who killed themselves using other methods ( Chang et al, 2019 ). The ease of implementing charcoal burning without discovery or interruption in the home could be a possible contributing factor to the increased risk of charcoal-burning suicide in individuals living alone.…”