• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2022

Objectives: Suicide is the major public mental health concerns all over the world. The comparison of suicide attempters and suicide completers could be the fundamental evidence for the suicide prevention. The aim of this study is to explore the differences between suicide attempters and suicide completers in terms of the stressors, suicide methods, and psychiatric diagnosis. Methods: Two types of secondary data were collected for the analyses. Data of the suicide attempters (n = 680) were gathered by intensive reviewing the medical records of Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Data of suicide completers (n = 11,722) were collected by the psychological autopsy data which were gathered by Korean Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicidal methods, psychiatric disorders and stressors before suicidal attempt were compared between suicide attempter and completers. Results: Suicide completers were older and male predominant compared to suicidal attempt. Hanging or gas intoxication were more commonly used in the suicide completion, while wrist cutting or drug intoxication were more common in suicide attempters. All types of stressors were found to be high in suicide completers than suicide attempters. However, the proportion of economic and physical stress were greater in suicide completers, while the proportion of family stress were greater in suicide attempters. According to the recorded diagnoses, the rates of depressive disorders, sleep-wake disorders, substance-related disorders were higher in suicide completers, while the rates of anxiety disorders and trauma- and stressor-related disorders, bipolar and related disorders and somatic symptom disorders were higher in suicide attempters. However, after controlling the gender and age, there were no significant differences in diagnosis between suicide attempters and suicide completers. Conclusion: These findings implicate that suicide attempters and completers differed in suicide methods and type of stress. The results suggests that economic stressors, physical illness might raise the risk of suicide completion.

• Journal of forensic and investigative science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.20-30
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• 2006

An exhibitional suicide is a case of death that the purpose is to demonstrate one's own real intention for others. This exhibitional suicide has a few characteristics that are different from a suicide: seriousness of suicide intention, a method of suicide attempt, and the place of a suicide. In other words, an exhibitional suicide lacks suicide intention, uses a slower method of death, and attempts a suicide at the place which others can easily find. In this light, this paper ascertains that a fair number in poisoning deaths are an exhibitional suicide on the basis of the result of an autopsy by department of forensic medicine school of medicine, Kyungpook National University. The research also confirms that juveniles and women attempt a suicide as often as adults and men, and a great number of suicides are indeed an exhibitional suicide. In terms of a commercial law, many specialists see an exhibitional suicide as an accidental death. However, if we consider an exhibitional suicide as an accidental death, we cannot verify the authenticity of death in an accident. In addition, if we observe the purpose of insurance and suicide exemption period of insurance company, we rather get to know to distinguish an exhibitional suicide from an accident. According to the research, most of the exhibitional suicide results from little or no-relation with others. Therefore, a little interest from family, friend, and neighbor plays a pivotal role in preventing this suicide. Finally, an effort to build database concerning an exhibitional suicide by a psychological autopsy will help people access a plenty of statistical materials and facilitate further study about an exhibitional suicide.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-117
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• 2007

The goal of this study was to find out how prepared Korean high school teachers are to identify suicidal students and connect them to appropriate resources. This study surveyed 390 high school teachers in terms of their level of knowledge on youth suicide and their misconception on suicide. In addition, this study examined what kind of actions they usually take once they identify suicidal students. Results indicated that high school teachers in Korea did not have sufficient knowledge to identify suicidal students and they did not think they are capable of identifying those students. Although their misconception on youth suicide was not as pervasive as expected, some of the misconception were still problematic in relation to suicide intervention. Furthermore, their intervention strategies for suicidal students were quite limited, focusing on isolated individual efforts. It is critical to develop and implement teacher training programs for youth suicide prevention which address suicide risk factors, warning signs, crisis response, and referral procedures.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.344-360
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of triggering variables, such as personal psychological variables, personal and social environmental variables, related the suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt. The subjects were participated in the $6^{th}$(2011) KoWePS. and are analyzed with the statistical program AMOS 21.0 as a calling logistic regression. The major findings were as follows: $1^{st}$, depression, self-esteem, subjective healthful status, marital violence, role of sex were related to suicidal ideation. $2^{nd}$, subjective healthful status and problem-drinking were related to suicidal plan. $3^{rd}$, problem-drinking and marital violence was negative related to suicidal attempt. Finally, on the base of this results, the social welfare implications of this study were discussed to reduce and protect suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt. and the limitations of this study and the suggestions for future studies were also presented.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.364-375
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to exploring the experiences of life amomg alcoholics who suicide attempts. The main question of this study is "what the meaning and essence of experiences of life amomg alcoholics with suicide attempts?" The qualitative research method was taken for widely understanding and lively writing experiences of life amomg alcoholics who suicide attempts in the connection of eheir lives. As results, 12 categories appeared from 5 themes as data analysis. The major themes could be analyzed as "Continuing a dark confines of the psychology, emotion", "encounter with worthless oneself of the loath to admit", "The trigger inciting to suicide", "The roots of the drinking and suicide -living with fate", "Holding up a string of life". Based on these results, the practical implications for the alcoholics with suicide attempts had been discussed.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.39-52
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• 2019

Thus, this study suggests following solutions to youth suicides in South Korea. First, we need to help adolescents to establish their identities based on the traditional ethical principles from both eastern and western cultures. Second, we claim that improvement of educational environment is urgently needed. Adolescents' emotional securities need to be well supported through stabilized family lives and we need to set expanded communication system between students and the school education system to help teenagers lead happier and more active school lives. Lastly, this study suggests establishing a social security system by eliminating potential risk factors and extending the protection factors so that Korean adolescents do not hesitate asking for help to protect themselves when they feel suicidal.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to find out the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of elderly suicide attempters visiting emergency room, compared to non-elderly adult suicide attempters. Methods : We enrolled suicidal attempters who were treated in the emergency room of the Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital between June 2013 and July 2015. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 336 suicidal attempters, and compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between elderly and non-elderly adult suicide attempters. Results : During the study period, 336 patients visited the emergency room of the medical center after suicide attempts. Among these, there were 71 elderly(21.2%) and 265 non-elderly adult(79.8%) suicide attempters. The suicidal methods among elderly were poisoning(73.3%), hanging(19.7%), cutting(5.6%), and jumping(1.4%). Those in non-elderly were poisoning(73.2%), cutting(17.0%), hanging(6.8%), and jumping(3.0%). The elderly suicide attempters had the tendency to choose more dangerous methods and showed higher lethality compared to adult suicide attempters(20.6% vs. 1.9%, ${\chi}^2=34.565$, p<0.05). On the other hand, premorbid psychiatric disorders had been more commonly diagnosed in non-elderly adults than elderly suicide attempters(49.8% vs. 26.8%, ${\chi}^2=12.024$, p<0.05). Conclusions : The results provide evidence of different sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of elderly suicide attempters compared to non-elderly ones visiting the emergency room. Through this study, it can be seen that the suicide attempt in the elderly tends to be severer than in the non-elderly, but only a small portion of them seek for help from psychiatric intervention. Further study is required to provide effective suicide prevention programs for elderly population.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.144-152
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to identify differences between suicide attempters who used zolpidem and others who used different methods in emergency department. Methods : This study classified 2,734 suicide attempters, who went to emergency department from 2009 to 2018, into zolpidem user group, another drug user group and non-drug user group. For these three groups, chisquare test and logistic regression analysis were conducted regarding sociodemographic feature and clinical feature related with suicide. Results : In the result of logistic regression analysis of a variable, which showed meaningful difference between suicide attempter group who used zolpidem and the other group who did not use the drug, the occurrence of zolpidem-using suicide attempers was related with the case where anxiolytics/hypnotics was used or the case where lethality and intention was low. In the drug intoxication group which showed similar feature, there was also a relevance between anxiolytics/hypnotics and the occurrence of zolpidem-using suicide attempts. Conclusions : This study identified significant difference of sociodemographic and clinical feature in suicide attempter group who used zolpidem and the other group. This result can contribute to plan further medicinal treatment in using zolpidem.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.45-58
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• 2006

Recently many treatment strategies have been developed to prevent suicidal ideation as it is increasing. Various community facilities and university centers are carrying out research to develop efficient treatment programs. This study examined how music can be used therapeutically for a case who is going through severe suicidal ideation. Various music therapy techniques are utilized including song psychotherapy, music and imagery and role play instrumental improvisation. A woman with severe depression for seven one-hour session. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine the changes in the suicidal ideation. As results, there were lots of changes in the client's attitude towards life through exploring inner world. Much of stability and sense of security were gained and emotional hardship was resolved in the process of therapy. The client was able to structure future plans productively as the suicidal ideation was reduced. In the process of role play instrumental improvisation, music allowed her to express issues regarding relationships with others, attitudes and in other areas as well. Music was used "as therapy" and solved many repressed emotions related to the trauma including psychological inhibition, tension, helplessness, lack of energy. Further music was able to bring the "false" ego with "true ego". The study implies that various psychotherapeutic interventions can alleviate depression and reduce suicidal ideation.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.75-99
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• 2023

The current study aimed to explore the suicidal behaviors and risk factors of completed suicides using psychological autopsy and use them as index variables to classify suicidal types. In addition, this study looked into the influential factors that affect each suicidal type. related to suicidal behaviors and suicidal risk factors by psychological autopsy. In addiction, the distinctions among the classes were analyzed. For this, psychological autopsies were conducted on the families and the close ones of 128 completed suicides. Then, the index variables were finally chosen for classifying suicidal types. The selected index variables for suicidal risk factors were mental disorders, suicide/self-harm, significant changes in physical appearance, marital conflict, adjustment and relationship issues at work/school, unemployment/layoff, jobless status and serious financial problems. The selected index variables for suicidal behaviors were expressing their suicidal attempts, writing suicidal notes, asking for help, the time/place/method of suicidal behavior, past suicidal/self-harm experience and the first person who witnessed the suicide. The Latent Class Analysis(LCA) and the 3-step method were used for classifying suicidal types. Then external variables(financial changes, cohabitation, existence of stressors, changes in stress level or relationships and family members with mental disorder/alchohol problems/ physical disorders, and work/school stisfaction) were applied for distinguishing classes. As a result, 5 classes(financial problems, adjustment problems, complex problems, psychiatric problems, and response to event[s]) were revealed on suicidal behaviors and 3 classes(residence- suicidal attempt- found by family, nonresidence- nonsuicidal attempt- found by acquaintances, residence- nonsuicidal attempt- found by family) were presented on suicidal risk factors. External variables such as gender, marital status, cohabitation, changes in relationships significantly differentiated among the 3 classes. Especially, class 3(residence- nonsuicidal attempt- found by family) tended to cohabit with others, were married, and had a significantly high level of interpersonal conflicts. When comparing the 5 classes of suicidal risk factors, auxiliary variables such as economic changes, cohabitation, stress, relationship changes, and family-related problems, and school/work satisfaction significantly differentiated the 5 classes. Especially class 3 (complex problems) experienced comparatively less family-related problems, but showed an aggravating level of personal stress. Suicial prevention strategies should be provided considering the characteristics of each class and the influential factors.