• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2024

Background: The mental health issues caused by trauma can manifest differently depending on the characteristics of the traumatic event. Particularly, individuals who have experienced sexual trauma are known to have more negative mental health outcomes compared to those who have experienced non-sexual trauma. The mental health issues of individuals who have experienced sexual trauma are severe, and new forms of threats, such as digital sexual crimes, are emerging. This study aimed to investigate whether the type of traumatic event, particularly focusing on sexual trauma events, contributes to differences in mental health outcomes and to identify factors influencing suicidal ideation and potential post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk. Methods: Based on an online survey conducted nationwide among adults aged 20 to 50, participants were categorized based on the type of trauma they experienced (sexual trauma events and non-sexual trauma events). The study conducted propensity score matching (PSM) using demographic factors (sex, age group, subjective economic status, and marital status) and resilience protective factors (cognition of recoverability, social support, and protection experiences in childhood) as control variables, excluding the experience of sexual trauma events, to investigate their potential impact on mental health (suicidal ideation and potential PTSD risk). Subsequently, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influencing mental health. Results: Even after PSM, individuals who experienced sexual trauma exhibited more negative outcomes in terms of suicidal ideation and potential PTSD risk compared to those who experienced non-sexual trauma. The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that sexual trauma survivors were 1.9 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts (odds ratio [OR], 1.911) and 2.5 times more likely to have a potential PTSD risk (OR, 2.472). Furthermore, as resilience protective factors became more negative, the likelihood of suicidal ideation and potential PTSD risk increased. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of understanding and supporting individuals who have experienced sexual trauma, highlighting the necessity for strategies aimed at mitigating suicidal ideation and potential PTSD risk among sexual trauma survivors, while also facilitating recovery through the promotion of resilience protective factors.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2009

Introduction: There has been an increasing interest in the relationship between sleep and suicidality. In addition, suicidal patients habitually report their sleep problems. Although sleep-related complaints and electroencephalographic changes are generally encountered in psychiatric disorders, sleep complaints such as insomnia, hypersomnia and nightmares are more common in suicidal patients. In current study, we aimed at investigating the relationship between self-reported sleep duration and suicidality in general population. Methods: One thousand general population (male:female=500:500, mean age=$39.6{\pm}11.6$ years, ranged age=20-77 years) completed Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression (CES-D), Beck Suicide Intent scale (BSI), Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), Morningness-Eveningness Scale (MES) and brief questionnaire of sleep habits. Results: After controlling for age and sex, score of BSI was correlated positively with the score of CES-D, STAXI and BIS on partial correlation analysis ($r_p$=0.251; p<0.001, $r_p$=0.352; p<0.001, and $r_p$=0.175; p<0.001, respectively). In addition, score of BSI was inversely correlated with the score of MES (rp=-0.066; p=0.037). However, score of BSI showed no significant correlation with sleep duration. However, regression analysis revealed that short (<6 hrs) or long (>10 hrs) sleep duration, the family history of psychiatric illness, the score of CES-D, and the score of STAXI predicted higher score of BSI significantly in total subjects (F=17.837, adjusted $R^2$=0.166; p=0.003, p=0.003, p<0.001, and p=0.003, respectively). This model was explained better in depressed subjects with 16 or higher score of CES-D (F=9.920, adjusted $R^2$=0.298). Conclusion: Current result suggested that not only short sleep duration (<6 hrs) but also long sleep duration (>10 hrs) might be related to suicidality.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate differences in psychological characteristics between major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with and without suicide attempt using MMPI-2-RF. Methods : Subjects were 107 MDD patients who had visited the department of psychiatry of hallym university hospital and met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria of MDD by the korean version of MINI-Plus 5.0.0. The patients were divided into suicidal attempters (n=43) and non-suicidal attempters (n=64) using C-SSRS. The one-way ANOVA was used to compare MMPI-2-RF scale scores between two groups. Additionally, ANCOVA was conducted considering the severity of depressive symptom and comorbidity as covariate. Results : Our results showed that Suicide/Death Ideation (SUI), Inefficacy (NFC) and Interpersonal Passivity (IPP) scales were significantly higher in the MDD patients with suicidal attempt compared to MDD patients without suicidal attempt (p<0.05). However, after controlling for the severity of depressive symptom and comorbidity, SUI scale showed a significant tendency (p<0.10). Conclusions : The result suggests that MMPI-2-RF scales could be a useful tool for identifying patients transitioning to actual suicidal attempts in the moderate or severe major depressive disorder group. Limitations of this study and directions for further research are also discussed.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.261-285
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• 2019

The essential policy of suicide prevention is to continuously manage and treat suicide attempted people through data base related to suicide retry rate and follow-up study report. In Korea, only few people are allowed to follow-up by the Personal Information Protection Act. As a result, the research participation rate and the service participation rate are rather low, so that the research participants is limited to a part of the suicide attempted people. Therefore, the policy proposals to be improved in the Ministry of Health and Welfare Act were examined comparatively in order to increase the practical utilization of the suicide prevention about Article 14 and Article 20 of the Suicide Prevention Act. As a criterion for policy improvement, measures for non-discrimination of information to be considered in terms of technical and ethical dimensions and non-profit research and medical information for medical purposes were suggested. In addition to the severity of the suicide, the suicide risk was assessed and the criteria for the objective assessment of the follow-up observation were considered in consideration of the severity of the suicide.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2022

Objectives : The study aimed to identify factors associated with suicidal attempt in Korean adults experiencing thoughts of suicide. Methods : This study analyzed outcomes of suicidal behavior in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2015, 2017, and 2019. This survey was administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The suicidal idea group was divided into individuals who had attempted suicide (n=92) and those who had not (n=831). Complex samples crosstabs analysis was conducted to compare the two groups' sociodemographic, psychiatric, and clinical characteristics. In addition, factors related to attempted suicide were investigated using complex samples logistic regression analysis. Results : The attempted suicide group had significantly higher rates of depression, recent psychiatric counseling, and suicidal plan (p<0.001) than the non-attempting group. In addition, the groups differed significantly in the frequency of binge drinking and smoking (p<0.05). Adjusted multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of a suicidal plan (Odds ratio [OR]=8.46, 95% Confidential Intervals [CI]=4.72-15.00), daily binge drinking (OR=3.14, 95% CI=1.26-7.84), psychiatric counseling within the past year (OR=3.03, 95% CI=1.75-5.23), low income level (OR=2.89, 95% CI=1.17-7.10), and history of depression (OR=2.39, 95% CI=1.29-4.42) were significantly associated with suicidal attempt. Conclusions : Factors associated with suicidal attempt among suicidal ideators in the general Korean population were identified across all sociodemographic, psychiatric, and clinical variables. Assessment of and intervention in suicidal plan, binge drinking, income level, and depression might prevent progression to suicidal attempt among those contemplating suicide.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 2020

Suicidality is the most serious complication of mood disorders and psychosis; effective treatment should reduce suicide rates. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development age-standardized suicide rate in Korea was 22.6 in 2018, much higher compared to other countries worldwide. As mental and psychiatric problems are the main reasons for suicide attempts, accounting for 31.6% in 2018, targeting such problems should be the focus of efforts to reduce suicide rates. However, the ability of current pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic interventions to reduce suicide rates is limited due to their delayed effects. Therefore, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been proposed as an alternative treatment. This approach is effective for treating most mental disorders associated with high suicide rates, including severe depression, bipolar disorder, and intractable psychotic disorders; ECT is also effective for Parkinson's disease, which has the highest suicide rate among all disorders in Korea. The acute, long-term, and prophylactic effects of ECT on suicidality have been reported in the literature, and treatment guidelines outside of Korea recommend that ECT be used at an early stage for rapid reduction of suicide rates, as opposed to being applied as a treatment of last resort. However, only ~0.092 of every 10000 members of the Korean general population received ECT in 2018; this is much lower than the average rate worldwide, of 2.2 per 10000. Elimination of obstacles to the use of ECT, early crisis intervention involving administration of ECT for rapid stabilization, and maintenance ECT to prevent recurrence should reduce suicide rates.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.63-70
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• 2019

This study examined the effect of emotional factors, physical factors and socioeconomic factors on suicidal ideation of 75 or older seniors and sought to identify what kinds of factors should be satisfied to prevent their suicide. Using "2017 National Survey of the Elderly", the study conducted survey among 75 or older 3,023 males and 1,295 females. It used multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify the factors affecting suicidal ideation. As a result, the study found that ties with their offspring, the number of chronic diseases, being abused or not, depression and living with or without espouse had significant effects on their suicidal ideation and abuse was the largest factor. Therefore, in order to reduce suicide rate of 75 or older seniors, more active attention should be rendered to their physical, socioeconomic and emotional health problems, and measures to reduce elderly abuse should be sought. In particular, institutional improvement and revitalization of elderly counseling institutions are needed to reduce elder abuse

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-187
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• 2000

The rates and numbers of elderly suicide in Korea have been increased during 1985-1998. This indicates the seriousness of the problems which the elderly are faced with. So many late-life problems may push older people across the edges. Those in unbearable situations may call out fur helps, they may try to cope with various ways, or they may commit suicides. Because it is widely believed that suicide among the elderly can be understood as a personal solution or alternative to late-life problems in old age, the elderly\`s suicides seem to be an appropriate indicator in estimating seriousness of late-life problems. A comparison of the history of suicide research with other populations shows that the several late-life problems have been found with placing an individual elder at risks for increasing suicidal behaviors Research has identified such problems as financial insecurity, retirement, loss of social roles, physical illness, lack of social supports, and loneliness as the problems that increase the incidence of suicidal behavior. Though it is difficult far us to explain and understand the phenomenon of the elderly\`s suicide because of its complexity, we need to ascertain problems and social conditions behind suicides and also to prepare for some appropriate policy-tasks in light of social welfare for the aged, through examining the phenomenon. For explaining the elderly\`s suicide, the theoretical orientations are based on sociological perspectives in the paper. From the standpoints of social integration theory and exchange theory, this study is to examine the relationship between late-life problems and suicide. These two may have been fruitfully employed in conjunction with each other. Finally, this study would identify urgent late-life problems related with the elderly\`s suicide and suggest the relevant policies for Korean elders. Sometime in the near future, the government should be required to provide social welfare programs for the elderly, particularly for those at risk for increasing suicidal behaviors.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.779-800
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• 2012

This study is to understand gifted students' suicidal ideation and its related variables among gifted students. For this, this study explores the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism of gifted students and suicidal ideation, confirming mediating effects of depression and academic stress. For the study 320 middle school students who were identified as the gifted at a gifted education center affiliated with the university. The results are summarized as follows. First, the fit of measurement model was found to be ${\chi}^2$=228.571(df=110, p=.000), CFI=.972, TLI=.966, RMSEA=.058, indicating most of fit indexes were acceptable. Second, suicidal ideation was found a significant positive relationship with maladaptive perfectionism, depression, academic stress. Third, as a result of examining path coefficient, it was found to be influenced significantly by all of the path from maladaptive perfectionism to depression and academic stress, the path from depression to suicidal ideation, the path from academic stress to suicidal ideation. However, the path from maladaptive perfectionism to suicidal ideation was found to be statistically insignificant. Fourth, the result showed that depression and academic stress worked as complete mediators between maladaptive perfectionism and suicidal ideation. These findings give useful information about affective aspects of gifted adolescents in hard circumstances. The results of the study will be helpful in devising consultation and educational programs for the gifted who are in danger of suicide.

• Survey Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.95-121
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to measure Koreans' views on the life and death and to illuminate the structural relationship between their subscales. The subscales are composed of afterlife views, death anxiety, death concern, will of suicide inhibition. Data drawn from Korean General Social Survey(KGSS) collected in 2009 were analyzed. The findings show that favorable attitude towards afterlife has positive relationship with favorable attitude towards returning to this life. The favorable attitude towards returning to the present life has positive relationship with death anxiety while it has negative relationship with will of suicide inhibition. The favorable attitude towards afterlife has positive relationship with death concern and will of suicide inhibition. Social support and happiness have negative impact on death concern while they are positively associated with will of suicide inhibition. These findings indicate that all subscales of views on life and death are significantly related to themselves and are also correlated with socio-demographic factors, which means that we have to comprehensively look inside the views on the life and death in order to understand the increasing suicide among Koreans. Further studies need approaching Koreans' views on the life and death by using more validated tools to capture their holistics picture.