• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.601-616
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• 2017

Elderly suicide is a major public health issue in South Korea. The aim of this study was to systematically examine the current knowledge about suicidal ideation among Korean older adults with specific focus on risk and preventive factors. In order to achieve this aim, a meta-analysis was conducted using Korean academic peer-reviewed journals published since 2001. A total of 97 articles were selected that met the research criteria (e.g., original study findings and key words of suicidal ideation, suicidal thought, and suicide). Three domains were identified and used for further analysis: individual, family, and society. Results showed that among individual factors, depression and burden or stress increased the risk of suicidal ideation, while better mental health reduced the risk of suicidal ideation. Among family factors, living alone was a risk factor for suicidal ideation, while family cohesion was a preventive factor for suicidal ideation. Among social factors, elderly discrimination, social isolation, and negative relationships were significant risk factors, while social support, social environment, and social activities were significant preventive factors affecting suicidal ideation. The results suggest several practical implications for developing suicide prevention programs and counseling approaches to address suicidal ideation. For example, depression and stress can be reduced by MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) program where meditation is used as a coping strategy. In addition, counseling programs specifically focused on improving family and social relations should be implemented. Government should continuously support for these programs to prevent suicide among older Koreans.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 2014

The aim of this paper is to examine the buffering effect of family cohesion in the relationship between depression and suicidal risk among adolescents, adults, and the elderly. To achieve the research aim, surveys were conducted in 10 cities across the country for 399 adolescents, 473 adults, and 370 elderly from May to August 2010. Major findings of the data analysis are as follows. First, while, in the relationship between depression and suicidal risk, the elderly were the highest, followed by adolescents and adults in descending order, in family cohesion, adults were the highest, followed by the elderly and adolescents. Second, the analysis of the buffering effect of family cohesion in the relationship between depression and suicidal risk showed that it was significant only for adolescents and adults, which means that for those two groups family cohesion alleviates the effects of depression on suicidal risk, demonstrating the necessity of strengthening family cohesion to reduce suicides among the two groups of people. But, for the elderly for whom family relationship is more important than any other age group, the buffering effect of family cohesion in the relationship between depression and suicidal risk was not proved. The interpretation of this phenomenon is given in the part of the paper where the characteristics of the suicide of the old age group is discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.534-545
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• 2020

In the super-aged societies, an increased elderly population living in solitude has been causing many problems. Since the elderly may incur a sense of loss and interest in suicide when living alone, this study investigated the effects of smartphones as well as types of living arrangements on elderly peoples' sense of loss and suicidal thoughts. This study found social roles and relationships were lower for older individuals using smartphones than those using 2G phones. Not surprisingly, those living with family members or a partner had significantly fewer suicidal thoughts than those living in solitude. However, our results indicate subjects' loss of role and relationships was affected more significantly by their smartphone usage (2G phone vs. smartphone) rather than their living arrangements (i.e., living with family or a partner vs. living in solitude). Moreover, smartphone users showed a lower sense of loss in terms of social roles and relationships. Among the elderly, loss of health, social role, and relationships were identified as precedents for increased suicidal thoughts; yet, economic capacity was surprisingly not an indicator of suicidal thoughts.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.427-435
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• 2016

Any comparative study has not been done between Korea and a certain country about the social economic factors of elderly suicide rates, even though there has been comparative studies among several nations. Therefore, this study is going to reveal how the macro-social economic factors are related to elderly suicide rates based on Korea and the United States, which show great gap of elderly suicide rate and have completely different aspect of increasing and decreasing rate of elderly suicide, as members of OECD. For this, trend analysis has been done between elderly suicide rates of both Korea and the United States for the past twenty years(1990-2009) and social economic factors, and correlation analysis also has been done at the same time. After all, this study is going to suggest policy implications for the prevention of elderly suicide in our society based on the results of the analysis.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.65-72
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a suicide prevention program on pain, depression, meaning of life, and suicidal ideation of low-income women aged 80 or older in rural area. A non-equivalent control group pre-post test study design was used. The participants were 89 women, aged 80 or older of a project for employment from O & K province. (experimental group = 45, control group = 44). The experimental group were participated in a total of eight-session, once a week. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, 𝑥²-test, t-test using SPSS 26.0 program. After a eight-week of intervention, the experimental group showed significant differences in depression (t=-2.19, p=.031), meaning of life (t=2.13, p=.036), and suicidal ideation (t=-2.11, p=.038). Therefore, the study program has proven to be effective in reducing depression and suicidal ideation, and improving the meaning of life of participants.

• 한국노년학
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.527-546
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• 2021

This study examined the effect of past acceptance on suicidal ideation in older adults and verified double mediation effects of attitude to aging and depression. The responses of 329 aged 65 years or older who participate in senior welfare centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do were used. As an analysis method, the double mediation effect was confirmed through serial multiple mediation model verification using the SPSS PROCESS macro program. The followings are the results of the study. First, the past acceptance had a significant effect on the aging attitude, the aging attitude on the depression, and the depression on the suicidal ideation, but the direct effect of past acceptance on the suicidal ideation was not significant. Second, double mediation effects of attitude to aging and depression were significant in the relationship between past acceptance and suicidal ideation. Based on these results, practical and policy interventions to prevent suicide in old age were suggested.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.355-379
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• 2007

This study examined the role of social support and mastery in the effects of hopelessness and depression on suicidal ideation in order to identify elders' suicide and it's related factors. Especially, it focused to find out whether the hopelessness excluding depression has an independent effect on elders' suicidal ideation, and psychosocial factors such as social support and mastery has an interaction effects with elders' hopelessness variables and depression on suicidal ideation. This study recruited 297 elders over 65(older persons in the elder education programs of senior welfare center in Masan, Changwon and Jinhae) and employed a self-administered survey method during January, 2007. The following are the major results of the study. First, the level of hopelessness, depression and suicidal ideation related elders' suicide indicated differences according to their educational level, marital state, income, and their chronical disease numbers. Especially, the lower income and higher chronical disease numbers showed higher level of hopelessness, depression and suicidal ideation among the elder subjects. Second, interaction effects of social support and depression were significant in suicidal ideation, the more level of social support in elder' subjects, the lower the suicidal ideation. While, interaction effects of social support and hopelessness, and mastery and depression/hopelessness in suicidal ideation were not statistically significant. Third, psychosocial factors such as social support and mastery on elders' suicidal ideation have a significant effect when other relevant variables are controlled. From these results, hopelessness is other significant factor predicting suicidal ideation(suicide) among elders. Also, social support and mastery is very significant factor influencing to prevent or decrease suicidal ideation among elders.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.865-885
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• 2008

This study addresses a number of issues related to suicide among older persons in Korea. The study investigates various aspects of elderly's suicide ideation, and how this quality of life and self-esteem impacts on their suicide ideation through depression. For the purpose of the study, the survey was conducted and 8,135 elderly 65 years old and over who reside in Gyeonggi-do participated. The result of the study indicated that quality of life, self-esteem and depression of the elderly showed statistically significant suicide ideation of the elderly. Participants were divided into two groups according to their physical health status. That is, to find out how quality of life and self-esteem of the elderly impact on the suicide ideation directly and indirectly through depression among elderly people with physical disease and no disease. The results showed that depression of the elderly people with physical disease was the most highly significant factors in explaining the elderly's suicidal ideation directly a comparison of elderly people with no physical disease. Therefore, depression is a major mental health problem associated with suicide. Finally, these findings of the study can improve the elderly people's quality of life and reduce suicide ideation.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.21-44
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• 2008

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the family instability on the elderly suicide and to examine the change over time. An analytical model of causal structure was set up with residence, family instability and socioeconomic level as explanation variables for this study. The cause of death statistics and micro-data from the vital statistics for 1995, 2000 and 2005 were used. Family instability was measured through divorce, and the rate of elderly(male and female) suicide as well as the suicide rate of the elderly and those in their 20-50's was used for this analysis to examine the effect of divorce. This study hypothesized about family instability and elderly suicide through a literature review. This paper presents maps of the suicide rate by using GIS, and then ANOVA and regression analysis are carried out to verify a difference in the elderly suicide rate affected by residence and divorce. Divorce rate appears in most areas with a high level centering around metropolises except the central inland area. The rate of elderly suicide which stayed in only specific regions with a high level has increased as time went by, and the graph leveled high in most regions except the southwestern coast. In addition, the elderly suicide rate was increased rapidly in rural areas for the most recent 10 years. This shows the seriousness of problems of the aged in rural areas. Through the periods of economic crisis, a sudden increase in divorce causes family instability, which increase the suicide rate increasing. Divorce affects the elderly suicide rate and the 20-50s' suicide rate in the same way, and the stronger effect goes to the elderly rather than those in their 20-50s'. Regarding elderly suicide, the divorce has a different effect by gender, affecting males more than females. With these facts, we can draw the conclusion that family instability has the most significant effect on elderly males' suicide.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.553-561
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between anxiety, sleep disturbance, and suicide ideation in the elderly using senior welfare centers and to identify factors influencing suicide ideation. Data were collected from January 6 to February 7, 2020 from 206 elders who analyzed using SPSS/Win 25.0 with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, multiple regression analysis. anxiety, sleep disturbance, suicide ideation were positively correlated. Meanwhile, factor affecting suicide ideation were anxiety(β=.215, p=.001), sleep disturbance(β=.383, p<.001) and the explanatory power of suicide ideation was 27.3%. Therefore, in order to prevent suicide ideation, it will be necessary to develop an intervention program to maintain qualitative sleep and lower anxiety levels.