• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2008

Purpose: There has been no nationwide surveillance survey of poisoning cases in Korea. This study examined the clinical characteristics of poisoning admissions in order to obtain preliminary data for future planning. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the data on poisoning admissions of 150 hospitals based on the hospital discharge injury surveillance data of Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Korea from January to December in 2004. The demographic data, poisons used, causes of poisoning, reasons for attempted suicide and mortality rate was investigated according to the age group. The factors associated with mortality were also evaluated. Results: A total 836 patients admitted for poisoning were analyzed. Their mean age was $46.5{\pm}19.5$ years (male 415, female 421). The most frequent age group was the 4th and 5th decades. The most common poisons involved were pesticides (45%) and medications (23%). The majority (64%) involved intentional poisoning except for those in the 1st decade. The most common reason for the attempted suicide was family problems. However, individual disease was the most common reason in those over 60 years. The overall mortality rate was 8.7% (73/836). Pesticides and being elderly (over 65 years old) were strongly correlated with fatality. Conclusion: The incidence of intentional poisoning increases from the 2nd decade making it a preventable injury. "Overall, the incidence of intentional poisoning increases from the 2nd decade". Therefore, there is a need to frame a prevention policy corresponding to each factor related to fatality, such as an elderly population and pesticides.

• 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.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-58
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore and identify the factors influencing the suicidal ideation among middle-aged and elderly people with disabilities. For this, the study has used the panel data of the 7th (2012) through 11th sessions (2016) of the Korea Welfare Panel Survey. In the middle-aged (40 years old to 64 years old), it was found that ordinary income and family life stress significantly affected Suicidal ideation. In the elderly aged 65 to 74, the marital status, ordinary income, depression, family life stress, and satisfaction with family life significantly influenced Suicidal ideation. In the elderly aged 75 or older, depression was the decisive factor affecting Suicidal ideation This study has suggested an effective social welfare intervention plan to prevent the occurrence of suicide among middle-aged and elderly people with disabilities, which emerges as a serious social issue in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.50-60
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aims to determine the bioethical subjectivity of nursing students with experience volunteering in elderly care facilities, and the characteristics that comprise the types thereof. Methods: Q methodology, which analyzes the subjectivity of each type, was used. The 37 selected Q statements from 32 participants were classified into the shape of a normal distribution using a 9-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. Results: The survey revealed that the bioethical subjectivity of nursing students with experience volunteering in elderly care facilities can be divided into three types: a rational dignity emphasis, an autonomous right to life belief, and conflict avoidance. All three attitudes regard human beings as possessing dignity, and life and death as elements to be experienced as aspects of human life. Bioethical values are critical to treatment and care; however, it is sometimes also held that humans have the right to commit suicide. Conclusion: This study enhanced our awareness of nursing students' bioethics. The findings can be used as a basis for the design of differentiated bioethics education according to each type of bioethical subjectivity. This calls for diverse research on bioethics and the implementation of effective bioethics education.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.spc
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• pp.577-590
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out the suicidal ideation rate of the elderly including individual and regional factors by sex. Methods: This is secondary analysis study that combines the data of the 2017 Community Health Survey with the e-indicator data set of the National Statistical Office, and a descriptive correlation study. Statistical analysis used hierarchical logistic regression by SAS 9.4. Results: The 11.5% of the elderly had suicidal ideation within the last year, and 18.4% in Chungnam is the highest. Individual characteristics include females, older people, lower education levels, no job or housewife, no spouse, less than seven hours of sleep per day on the average, low subjective health, high subjective stress, and the worse their economic conditions, the more they had suicide ideation. Considering regional characteristics, suicidal ideation tended to increase significantly as the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people and the rate of obesity was lower, the rate of stress perception was higher, and the odds value was small. When both individual and regional factors were considered, the model conformity of the suicidal ideation improved (ICC=0.0814). Conclusion: In order to lower the suicidal rate of the elderly, it seems that both individual and community factors need to be comprehensively approached from the stage of suicidal ideation in the community.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.73-92
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of volunteering on the sense of community and the community capacity, and the mediating effect of the sense of community on the relationship between volunteering variables(the period and satisfaction of volunteering) and the community capacity as well. Study population is 1,416 elderly volunteers who participated in the government-sponsored elderly volunteer program for prevention of depression and suicide in 2016. The results show that the experience of volunteering plays an important role in improving the sense of community and the community capacity among the older participants. As for the analysis of the mediating effect, the sense of community has a perfect mediating effect between the period of volunteering and the community capacity, and a partial mediating effect between volunteering satisfaction and the community capacity. Based on these findings, the theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

• 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.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.113-125
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was aimed to inspect what relation there exists between the elderly's social support, self-esteem and the suicidal thinking, and examined factors influencing their suicidal ideation. Methods: For 207 old persons above 65 residing at Seoul, questionnaire survey was performed for 4 weeks. For response data, t-test and ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression Analysis were performed using spss 18.0 program. Results: The results of analysis are like followings. 1. As for the social support according to the general characteristics, there was statistically significant difference in sex distinction, religion, living arrangement, educational level, monthly allowance and mode to use spare time. As for self-esteem according to the general characteristics, there was statistically significant difference in sex distinction, religion, living arrangement and monthly allowance. And as for the suicidal ideation, there was statistically significant difference in the marital status. 2. As for the relation between the social support, self-esteem and the suicidal ideation, it showed statistically very significant positive correlation in the social support and self-esteem. And there existed relatively higher positive correlation in family support among sub-factors of the social support and the positive self-recognition among sub-factors of self-esteem. 3. It showed that positive and negative self-recognition as sub-factors of self-esteem, others' support as sub-factor of the social support influence on the suicidal ideation. In other words, as positive self-recognition was lower, as negative self-recognition was higher, as social support of others was lower, they had much more effect on the suicidal ideation of the elderly. And it showed about 36.1% of the explanatory capability. Conclusions: Health care providers should develop school health education for the elderly.

• 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.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2014

Background: In Japan, more than 60% of employees are reported to suffer from anxiety and stress. Consequently, Japanese society has begun to address such important issues as psychogenic disability and job-related suicide. Furthermore, given the aging of society and the surge in the number of elderly people requiring care, it is necessary to adequately and proactively support employees who care for their elderly relatives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate caregiver burden in caring for elderly relatives and work-related stress factors associated with mental health among employees. Methods: We studied 722 men and women aged 18-83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine mental health status. Results: The proportion of participants with a high K10 score was 15% (n = 106). Having little conversation with their supervisor and/or coworkers significantly increased the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.8], as did high job overload (OR 2.7) and job dissatisfaction (OR 3.8), compared with employees who frequently conversed with their supervisor and/or coworkers. Caring for elderly relatives as a prominent characteristic of an employee was a significant risk factor for depression (OR 2.1). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that employees who were caring for elderly relatives were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. To prevent depressive disorders, it may be important to focus on reducing the work-caregiving role conflict, as well as enhancing employees' job control and better rewarding their efforts in the workplace.