• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-3
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• 2019

Suicide is a major problem in Korean health care and a serious social problem. In Korea, 12,463 people (24.3 per 100,000) lost their lives due to suicide in 2017. Although the government has established three National Comprehensive Plan of Suicide Prevention (2004, 2009, 2016), and National Action Plan of Suicide Prevention (2018), the suicide rate is still high. The suicide rate of the elderly is especially high. This is due to the economic vulnerability of the elderly in Korea. Therefore, in order to prevent suicide in Korea, mental health care approach and social welfare approach should be integrated. The intervention of preventing suicide of suicide attempters should include social welfare services as well as mental health program and should be based on community. There are many health problems, including prevention of suicide, which can not be solved only by the efforts of health care. Many health problems are social problems and the integrated approach is needed to solve them. In order to solve many health care problems and improve health, integrated approach of health, social science, and humanities is needed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1427-1444
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of the suicide ideation, plan and attempt and to examine factors affecting the suicide attempt of the elderly. For these purposes, 1,110 elderly in Chonbuk province were interviewed using structured questionaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the association among factors. Major finding of this study are as follow : First, the prevalence of the suicide ideation, plan and attempt was 20.2%, 5.7%, 3.6%. Second, factors for suicide attempt were male sex, the living alone aged, loss of role as a worker, emotional abuse and neglect from family. On the basis of these results, implications for policy and practice are suggested for prevention the suicide of the elderly.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2007

Objectives : By comparing the prevalence rates of suicide-related behaviors (suicide ideation, plan and attempt) between depressive disorder and anxiety disorder patients, we tried to find the characteristics of suicide-related behaviors in these patients. Methods : Four hundred-three patients participated in the study and the prevalence rates of suicide-related behaviors were investigated using Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview plus. Pearson Chi-Square test was used to find the association between depressive or anxiety disorders and suiciderelated behaviors. Results : Statistically significant differences were found between depressive disorder group and anxiety disorder group in terms of suicide ideation ($X^2$=6.173, df=1, p=0.013) and suicide attempt ($X^2$=8.008, df=1, p=0.005). We also found that patients in depressive disorder group were more likely to have suicide ideation (Odds Ratio=2.049, 95% Confidence Interval=1.155-3.635), and attempt suicide (Odds Ratio=4.970, 95% Confidence Interval=1.466-16.845) than patients in anxiety disorder group. Conclusion : These findings suggest that suicide ideation and suicide attempt rates are higher in depressive disorders than in anxiety disorders.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.388-397
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the use of heated tobacco products (HTP) and suicidal behaviors such as suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts among adolescents in South Korea. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. Data was from the 15th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) performed in 2019 by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Heated tobacco product use was used as a main independent variable and suicide-related behaviors such as suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts were applied as dependent variables. Out of 60,100 students, 57,303 responded. Results: HTP use significantly increased the odds of a suicide attempt and suicide planning among adolescents. After controlling for confounders, when comparing 'current HTP users' with 'never HTP users', the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.78 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38-2.30) for suicide attempts among adolescents. After controlling the confounders, comparing 'current HTP users' with 'never HTP users', the adjusted OR was 1.36 (95% CI: 1.06-1.73) for suicide planning among adolescents. For sadness/despair among adolescents, when comparing 'current HTP users' with 'never HTP users', the adjusted OR was 1.29 (95% CI: 1.11-1.50). However, HTP use had no significant association with suicidal ideation among adolescents. Conclusions: Current HTP users were more likely to attempt to commit suicide, and more likely to plan to commit suicide than never HTP users among adolescents. These results may be useful in developing a scientific basis for designing suicide prevention programs targeting adolescents.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to examine factors affecting suicidal ideation among female late adolescents from a Korean rural province. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design involving self-reported questionnaires was used. The data were collected from female adolescents aged 18 to 22 years, from high schools, universities, churches, and local community centers. The sample consisted of 197 female late adolescents from three rural areas in Korea. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale and the Suicidal Ideation Scale were used to measure depression and suicidal ideation, respectively. Results: Suicidal ideation was correlated with having a specific suicide plan (r=.65, p<.001), depression (r=.39, p<.001), subjective well-being (r=-.46, p<.001), ever experienced violence (r=.15, p=.029), and age (r=-.21, p=.003). Factors affecting suicidal ideation among rural female adolescents were having a specific suicide plan (β=.56, p<.001), subjective well-being (β=-.23, p=.001), and suicide of a close person (β=.12, p=.035). These factors explained 48.0% of the variance in suicidal ideation (F=37.62, p<.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that affective factors and personal experiences regarding suicide were critical indicators for suicidal ideation among female late adolescents. These factors should be managed and tailored nursing interventions should be offered to prevent suicide and to enhance the psychiatric health status of female late adolescents.

• Journal of Legislation Research
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• no.44
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• pp.689-723
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• 2013

Suicide is Korea's first leading cause of death in their twenties and thirties. at a rate of 31.2 per 100,000 in 2010. The Korea suicide rate is over twice higher than OECD's average rate. Because of this reality the suicide prevention act(full title, the Act on Prevention of Suicide and Creation of Culture that Respects Life) was enacted in 2011. In 2008, the Korean government planned the suicide prevention programs to decrease the incidence of suicide to approximately 20 per 100,000 by the end of 2013. Despite the plan the suicide rate in Korea has increased to over 30 per 100,000 since 2009 and the plan was proved to be failed. Consequently, the government was unable to lower the suicide rate in last decade. It has shown that the reduction of suicide rate is a difficult and complex problem. This study shows that the root cause of suicide is based on social and legal exclusion and proposes that suicide prevention measures should be aimed at social cohesion and legal protection.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare suicide mortality by region in South Korea. Method: Suicide mortality differentials were calculated for several mortality indicators by geographical regions from raw data of the cause of death from KNSO. Results: The results are as follows; the Crude suicide death rate was 22.63 per 100,000. The highest was in Kangwon showing 37.84% whereas, Chungnam, and Jeonbuk followed after. Suicide was 4.4% of all causes of death, but Inchon and Ulsan showed a higher proportion. The male suicide death rate was 31.12 per 100,000 and females 14.09. The ratio of gender suicide mortality was 2.21, per 100,000 and was the highest in Jeju. For age-specific suicide death rates, the rate increased as age advanced, showing 2.33 per 100,000 in 0-19years, 18.68 in 20-39, 30.48 in 40-59, 63.33 in 60 years and over. In Ulsan, Kangwon, and Inchon, age-specific suicide death rates of the 60 and over age group were higher than other regions, Daegu, Busan, and Kangwon showed a higher age-specific suicide mortality of the 40-59 age group, and Kangwon, Jeonnam, and Chungnam had a higher age-specific suicide mortality of the 20-39 age group. Conclusions: Suicide mortality differed by region. These results can be used for a regional health care plan and planning for suicide prevention by regions.

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

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2023

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze correlations among searches of hwa-byung, depression, and suicide using big data. Methods: Keywords searches were performed using both Google Trends and Naver Data Lab on December 13, 2022. From 2016 to 2022, search results for keywords 'hwa-byung', 'depression', and 'suicide' were extracted with a score between 0 and 100 in terms of relative search popularity (RSP). Monthly time analysis, correlation analysis, and regional analysis were then conducted for these scores. Results: Regardless of the search period, RSP for both portal sites was in the order of 'suicide', 'depression', and 'hwa-byung'. Over time, search for 'depression' tended to increase in Google (slope: 0.0092), whereas search for 'hwa-byung' showed a slight increase in Naver (slope: 0.0024). Correlation coefficient for search terms 'depression' and 'suicide' was 0.3969 in Google Trends and 0.4459 in Naver Data Lab, showing clear positive correlations. On the other hand, there was little correlation between search results of 'hwa-byung' and 'depression' or between 'hwa-byung' and 'suicide'. However, compared to males, females showed higher positive associations between search results of 'hwa-byung' and 'depression' and between 'hwa-byung' and 'suicide'. Search terms 'depression' and 'suicide' showed high RSPs in most regions in South Korea. However, 'hwa-byung' had distinct regional differences in terms of RSP. Conclusions: Results of this study will help us understand Korean public's perception of the relevance of hwa-byung, depression, and suicide and plan future research in this topic. In addition, findings of this study may provide future public health implications for reducing the high suicide rate in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the effects of household financial difficulties caused by COVID-19 (2019 coronavirus disease) on suicidal tendencies of adolescents. Methods: We selected 54,948 middle and high school students who were surveyed based on the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey 2020. To analyze the data, we used the STATA 16.0 program to conduct propensity score matching (PSM). Results: After controlling for selection effects by using PSM, the household financial difficulties caused by COVID-19 maintained a significant predictive effect on increasing suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and decreasing tendency in hospital-treated after suicide attempts. However, depressive symptoms and suicide plan did not show a significant correlation with household financial difficulties associated with COVID-19. Conclusions: It was found that the rate of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adolescents who experienced a household financial difficulties due to COVID-19. Therefore, It can provide empirical evidence for estimating the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent suicide rates.