• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.194-292
• /
• 2023

Background: This study aimed to update suicide-related indicators, including the number of suicidal deaths, suicide rate, and the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We observed trends in suicide-related indicators based on up-to-date information. Methods: This study used five data sources to evaluate the trends of suicide-related indicators: Statistics Korea (1983-2021), Korean Wealth Panel Study (KOWEPS, 2012-2021), and Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP, 2010-2013, 2016-2019), Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination (KNHANES, 2007-2013, 2015-2021), Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS, 2008-2009, 2013, 2017, 2021). Results: The suicide rate per 100,000 population increased from 25.7 in 2020 to 26.0 in 2021. The rates of suicidal ideation from recently available data were 4.28% (KNHANES, 2021), 6.52% (KCHS, 2021), 1.61% (KOWEPS) and 7.10% (KHP, 2019). The suicidal attempts rates were 0.46% (KNHANES, 2021) and 0.34% (KCHS, 2021). The annual percentage change (APC) of suicide rate showed that suicide rates increased in the younger population (APC=9.02% in <19 years, APC=5.13 in 20-39 years) although the rates decreased in the older population (APC=-3.37 in 60-79 years, APC=-2.25 in >80 years). Conclusion: The suicide rate and related indicators increased in 2021 compared to 2020. Thus, continuous observation and appropriate suicide prevention policies as well as studies about the factors that affected the increase in 2021 are needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.13-23
• /
• 2009

Purpose: Suicide was considered as a big public health concern in recent years because suicide mortality has been increased rapidly. This study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal ideation among adolescents in South Korea. Methods: The data of 2007 Youth Health Risk Behavior Web-based Survey collected by Korean Center for Disease Control were analyzed using logistic regression for this study. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 23.7% in South Korea. The risk factors of suicide ideation were depression (odds 8.43), perceived stress(odds 4.30), drug use (odds 2.47), sexual intercourse(odds 2.36), present smoking (odds 1.76), present alcohol drink (odds 2.39), feeling unhappiness (odds 2.89), living with none of parents (odds 1.71), gender(odds 1.72), health status (odds 1.66), and socioeconomic status (odds 2.0). Conclusion : Health risk behaviors and mental health status were related to suicide ideation. Health risk behavior such as smoking and drinking prevention programs and mental health promotion programs should be implemented to decrease suicide ideation among adolescents. Suicide, mental health and health risk behaviors should be prevented through comprehensive health promotion programs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.2882-2892
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop a program to prevent depression and suicidality in vulnerable community-dwelling elderly women, then to furthermore demonstrate the effectiveness of the program in a community setting. The researchers designed the depression and suicide prevention program by combining a cognitive behavioral theory model with prospective research data. The effects of the program were measured by time-series design based on survey results from 12 vulnerable community-dwelling elderly women. The depression and suicide prevention program was implemented and feelings of depression, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness were measured 4 weeks before implementation, prior to implementation, immediately following implementation, and 4 weeks after implementation. Although there was no statistically significant difference in feelings of depression, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness immediately after implementation of the program, there was a statistically significant difference in all parameters 4 weeks following the implementation of the program. Therefore, we recommend the implementation of our program in community mental health care centers or welfare facilities.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.147-170
• /
• 2023

This study explored keywords and key topics by collecting posts related to 'self-Iinjury' and 'suicide' through Twitter. The study subjects were selected as posts containing related hashtags related to self-injury and suicide from October 29, 2019 to November 30, 2020. Text mining based on collected posts resulted in a total of 11 key topics: -6 related to 'self-Iinjury' and 5 related to 'suicide'. The main message in the topic is as follows. First, looking at the main messages contained in the topic, they honestly expressed self-harm and suicide experiences that are difficult to express offline online, and used SNS as a channelpath for requesting help requests. Second, there were common and discriminatory characteristics in posts related to 'self-Iinjury' and 'suicide'. Although topics related to 'self-Iinjury' mainly revealed emotional control and interpersonal functions of self-harm, messages related to 'suicide' showed more clearly messages about suicide prevention addressing and social problems. These results are meaningful in that they can understand the opinions of people who have experienced self-harm and suicide accidents and the public voice on self-harm and suicide-related issues could be better understood, and that this study seeks for effective self-harm and suicide prevention and intervention measures for self-harm and suicide issues.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.131-142
• /
• 2015

Literature indicates an increased risk of suicide among women who have had cosmetic breast implants. An explanatory model for this association has not been established. Some studies conclude that women with cosmetic breast implants demonstrate some characteristics that are associated with increased suicide risk while others support that the breast augmentation protects from suicide. A systematic review including data collection from January 1961 up to February 2014 was conducted. The results were incorporated to pre-existing suicide risk models of the general population. A modified suicide risk model was created for the female cosmetic augmentation mammaplasty candidate. A 2-3 times increased suicide risk among women that undergo cosmetic breast augmentation has been identified. Breast augmentation patients show some characteristics that are associated with increased suicide risk. The majority of women reported high postoperative satisfaction. Recent research indicates that the Autoimmune syndrome induced by adjuvants and fibromyalgia syndrome are associated with silicone implantation. A thorough surgical, medical and psycho-social (psychiatric, family, reproductive, and occupational) history should be included in the preoperative assessment of women seeking to undergo cosmetic breast augmentation. Breast augmentation surgery can stimulate a systematic stress response and increase the risk of suicide. Each risk factor of suicide has poor predictive value when considered independently and can result in prediction errors. A clinical management model has been proposed considering the overlapping risk factors of women that undergo cosmetic breast augmentation with suicide.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.71-85
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study is to verify relationship between suicidal ideation and associated socio-demographic, psychological and behavioral, violence, protective factors among in poor urban area adolescents in Peru. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a sample of 981 secondary school adolescents in 2014 collaborating with Korea International Cooperation Agencies (KOICA) Peru office. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test, logistic regression analysis methods were used. Results: 14.0% of male and 37.1% of female were reported having suicidal ideation during the past 12 months. Suicidal ideation experience of male is affected by mother's education level, depression, life satisfaction, sexual intercourse experience, fight experience, insulted experience. Female is affected by depression, life satisfaction, sexual intercourse experience, insulted experience and physical abuse experience. Conclusions: Suicidal ideation experience in poor urban area of Peru is affected by socio-demographic, psychological and behavioral, violence factors. To solve and prevent suicide of adolescents in this kind of area, it is necessary to apply an integrated development program for parents and teachers to participate. For the sustainable preventive program, there is a need to introduce a counseling program, such as psychological counseling to adolescents suicide prevention programs.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.135-139
• /
• 2013

Objective : This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the annual changes of suicide methods and suicide rates in South Korea. We compared the suicide methods in South Korea with those in six other OECD countries, Japan, Finland, France, United States, Canada and Australia. Methods : Data of suicide rates and methods since the year 2000 were obtained from the official electronic mortality data published by the seven countries and from the World Health Organization [WHO] mortality database. We compared the correlation between suicide methods and suicidal rates in South Korea using Spearman's correlation test. Results : The proportion of hanging steadily increased, whereas self-poisoning steadily decreased from 2000 to 2011. The increased use of hanging was associated with the increase of suicide rates in South Korea. The preference for jumping as a suicide method in South Korea can be notably compared to that of other countries. Conclusion : Preference use of lethal methods, such as hanging, may play a great role in the increase of suicide rates in South Korea. The limitation of physical and cognitive access to lethal methods can be an effective suicide prevention strategy.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.12 no.7
• /
• pp.305-315
• /
• 2021

The Korea Convergence Society. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of suicidal attitude, perception of life, and depression on adolescents' suicide(ideation, plans, attempts). Data on general characteristics, the Attitude Toward Suicide, the Perception about Life, and the Korean version of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised were collected in 889 second-year middle school students in the I area. Two hundreds forty six students (27.67%) indicated they had suicide ideation, 85 had suicide plans (9.56%), and 46 had suicide attempts (5.17%). The proportion of female students was significantly higher than that of male students. The suicide indices (ideation, plans, attempts) increased as one shows lower body image satisfaction, higher depression, lower subjective mental and physical health, and lower leisure satisfaction. Predictors of suicide ideation included suicidal attitude (solution and permissiveness), depression, subjective mental health, and body image satisfaction. Predictors of the suicide plan were permissiveness and solution among suicidal attitude, and depression, subjective mental health, and those of suicide attempts were permissiveness and depression. Conclusion: This study suggests that much effort is required to decrease depression and improve perception of life and suicidal attitude in the suicide prevention education for adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.163-169
• /
• 1996

The authors examined for risk factors for suicide among psychiatric patients who had committed suicide through the analysis of demographic, clinical and psychological characteristics of the patients. The total number of suicides committed during social adjustment period was 9. Male and female ratio was 5:4 and the highest incidence occurred in the age group of 21-29 years. Of the 9 cases, schizophrenia accounted for two-third of the suicides. Among the committed suicides, 4 were in hospitalization and rest were postdischarge state. We found that 4 of 5(80%) suicides occurred in the first year after discharge, and that three fifth(60%) occurred within three months of discharge. In this result, most of suicides occurred immediately or soon after discharge and some during inpatient care. The major precipitating factors the patients showed before committing suicide were realistic and psychological problems. Consquently, they become dejected, experience feelings of hopelessness, go on to a depressed mood, and, in that case, have suicidal ideas that are eventually acted on. We believe that the ability to recognize risk factors for suicide and develop appropriate interventions is key to suicide prevention.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2024

Purpose: This study aims to categorize the subjective perception of suicide of young social workers in their 20s and 30s, and to explore the factors constituting each type, and used the Q methodology. Research design, Research method: As a research method, the Q population was derived through in-depth interviews and literature research, and the final 23 Q statements were confirmed. Next, 30 social workers in their 20s and 30s were classified by normal distribution on a 7-point scale as a P sample. The collected data were analyzed using the QUANL-PC program. Result: As a result of the analysis, four types were extracted, and there were no affirmative statements commonly cited in all types, and the opposite statement is 'if someone wants to commit suicide, it is the person's job and should not interfere'. Types 4 named suicide as 'unacceptable social problem', 'signal of a request for help, relief of severe pain, and 'impulsive mistake', respectively. Conclusion: Based on this result, the elements constituting the perception of each type were analyzed, and the need for access strategies for each type of suicide prevention education and campaign, and follow-up research were suggested.