• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.223-232
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• 2018

This study aims to incorporate resilience factors into current suicide research that is focused on risk factors by validating the role of hope and self-forgiveness, which are potential resilience factors, in thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, risk factors according to the interpersonal theory of suicide. Data was collected from 316 undergraduates in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. We examined the correlations between self-forgiveness, hope, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation and tested moderating effects of self-forgiveness and hope on the relationship between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation and between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation. The study results were all significant, indicating that self-forgiveness moderates the relationship between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation and that hope moderates the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation. The result will be a basis for incorporating and resilience factors into the suicide risk assessment when educating suicidal prevention and counseling college students. Further research on studying more risk factors and resilience factors will contribute to establishing more useful and various suicide risk factor evaluation, prevention education, counseling and policies.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.308-319
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• 2018

Background: Some mental illnesses such as depression are known to be one of the risk factors of suicide and proper antidepressant therapy can reduce suicidal behavior. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze regional variations in antidepressant consumption and adherence, suicide rate, prevalence of suicide related mental disorders, and access to relevant healthcare services. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service between 2014 and 2016. We included patients who had a diagnosis record of suicide related mental disorders during the study period. Cause of death statistics and National health and medical statistics were used to identify suicide rate and distribution of healthcare service. We conducted visual analyses, chi-squared tests, independent t-tests and correlation analyses to demonstrate regional variations. Results: Between 2014 and 2016, the average prevalence of suicide related mental disorders was 5.4 per cent. Suicide rate and prevalence of suicide related mental disorders were higher in Gangwon, Chungcheong, and Jeolla (p < 0.001), and lower in Seoul (p < 0.001) than the national average. Unexpectedly, regional variations in antidepressant consumption were seen in the limited area including Daejeon, Chungnam and Gyeongnam (p < 0.05). The number of mild patient-centered clinics was associated positively with antidepressant consumption (p < 0.01) and associated negatively with suicide rate (p < 0.01). Conclusion: There were some regional variations in prevalence of suicide related mental disorders, antidepressant adherence and suicide rate. The higher level of antidepressant therapy and the lower level of suicide rates were seen in regions with easy access to mild patient-centered clinics.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.327-335
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• 2014

Objectives: Several epidemiological studies on medical care utilization prior to suicide have considered the motivation of suicide, but focused on the influence of physical illnesses. Medical care expenditure in suicide completers with non-illness-related causes has not been investigated. Methods: Suicides motivated by non-illness-related factors were identified using the investigator's note from the National Police Agency, which was then linked to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment data. We investigated the medical care expenditures of cases one year prior to committing suicide and conducted a case-control study using conditional logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, gender, area of residence, and socioeconomic status. Results: Among the 4515 suicides motivated by non-illness-related causes, medical care expenditures increased in only the last 3 months prior to suicide in the adolescent group. In the younger group, the proportion of total medical expenditure for external injuries was higher than that in the older groups. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed significant associations with being a suicide completer and having a rural residence, low socioeconomic status, and high medical care expenditure. After stratification into the four age groups, a significant positive association with medical care expenditures and being a suicide completer was found in the adolescent and young adult groups, but no significant results were found in the elderly groups for both men and women. Conclusions: Younger adults who committed suicide motivated by non-illness-related causes had a higher proportion of external injuries and more medical care expenditures than their controls did. This reinforces the notion that suicide prevention strategies for young people with suicidal risk factors are needed.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.50-64
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• 2013

Objectives : Suicide is a serious sentinel event in healthcare organization. Suicide and suicidal attempt are fatal and long lasting mental and physical damage to themselves, family, and medical staffs. To develope the system to prevent suicidal accident in hospital, we reviewed and analysed one case of suicidal sentinel event. Methods: The risks of suicidal sentinel event were evaluated and analysed through the root cause analysis and failure mode effects analysis. Result: We found several root causes such as initial assessment of oldest patient and security issues. Couple of action plans to fix the problems were done immediately. According to failure mode, we evaluate the risk priority number to modify the action plans. Conclusion: To reduce the risk of sentinel events, we reviewed the suicidal event and established the new system and action plan to prevent sentinel events.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.98-105
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• 2006

Objectives : To consider which questions are most useful clinically and to find a framework for assessment of suicidality or risk of suicide for adolescents. Methods : Authors reviewed and integrated both clinical works and researches about measures used to evaluate suicidal behaviors in adolescents. Results : The 'cascade approach' for assessment of suicidality was developed; the quality and quantity of 'distress' leads to an entry question to do with the 'quality of life' and whether it is worth living. These two questions lead to examinations of 'thoughts' which may lead to 'plans' which leads to 'threats' which then leads to 'deliberate self injury' and then on to a history of 'past suicide attempts'. Authors also suggested to use a summed score of cascade approach in clinical decisions and showed how to modify it up to different evaluation situations. Focusing on the good things helps not only to qualify suicidality but also to begin the search for solutions. Conclusion : In the clinical assessment process, while scales assist the clinician, there is nothing to supplant a sensitive clinical approach. The 'cascade approach' was proposed as a framework for assessing adolescents for suicidality.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2015

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the factors including possibility of bipolar disorder that are related to intensity of suicidal idea. Methods : The study subjects consisted of 50 patients who did suicidal attempt and treated at the Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital Emergency Room. All participants underwent psychiatric interview and underwent Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale(C-SSRS), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Korean Version of Mood Disorder Questionnaire(MDQ) and Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale(BSDS) to evaluate patient's suicide attempt, severity of depression and possibility of bipolar disorder. Results : Compared to non-high risk group, suicide high risk group showed significantly higher BDI(p<0.001) and intensity of ideation(IOI) in C-SSRS(p<0.001). Also intensity of ideation(IOI) was correlated with Mood Disorder Questionnaire(MDQ) bipolarity positive(p=0.033). Conclusions : The present study indicated that possibility of bipolar disorder plays a significant role in suicide attempters. Assessment of suicide ideation severity and possibility of bipolar disorder should be considered when suicide attempters come to emergency room.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine personality traits associated with suicidal symptoms (with history of suicide attempt or suicidal idea) in depressed patients. Methods : A sample 186 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder was divided into two groups : suicidal group (with history of suicide attempt or suicidal idea, n=70) and non-suicidal group (without history of suicide attempt or suicidal idea, n=116). NEO Personality Assessment System were used to evaluate personality trait. Results : Neuroticism was high in suicidal group (p=0.041). In multivariate logistic regression, Neuroticism was also a significant influence on suicidal symptoms (Odds Ratio=1.04, 95% Confidence Interval 1.01-1.07, p=0.0145). Conclusions : High Neuroticism is a useful information to identify individuals at high risk of suicide in depressive patients.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Based on major safety-related statistics of cities, provinces, counties, and districts across the country, social disasters manage regional safety index ratings in six areas(traffic accidents, fires, crime, life safety, suicide, and infectious diseases), and natural disasters operate a management system. The current application of the regional safety assessment of natural disasters is very insufficient to evaluate the local risk of natural disasters up to the Eup, Myeon, and Dong level, and it is marked too engineering and difficult for the general public to use. The purpose of this study is to present Korea's natural disaster local risk assessment as an improvement model that extends to the sub-unit of Eup, Myeon, and Dong, using the local risk assessment model mixed with natural and social disasters.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 1997

Background : Patients with command hallucinations are commonly assumed to be at high risk for dangerous behavior. However the issue of whether command hallucinations hold any clinical relevance in schizophrenic patients has not been established. Method : The author analyzed the clinical and research records of schizophrenic patients with auditory hallucinations who participated in outpatient research follow-up for 9 months after discharge. Patients with auditory hallucinations were classified as experiencing or not experiencing command hallucinations based on clinical psychiatric assessment. Results : Of 63 patients with auditory hallucinations, 29(46%) reported the command hallucinations and these hallucinations often were violent in content(44.8%). Patients with command hallucinations were not significantly different from patients without command hallucinations on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and clinical or prognostic course variables, but patients with command hallucinations had significantly more short hospitalizations(less than one month) than patients without command hallucinations. 3 of the patients with command hallucinations who committed suicide during the follow up periods were died. Conclusion : Command hallucinations may be frequent, and in most cases they have minimal influence on the outcome of schizophrenia, but if the patients with command hallucinations have a history of suicide attempts before admission, the possibility of suicide attempts by command hallucinations should be considered.