• Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.314-324
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze research and development projects in mental health services in Korea, using priority evaluation of mental health promotion policies to determine direction of the service. Methods: An online survey was conducted that targeted experts in the mental health service regarding promotion of mental health in Korea in 2016. The survey was based on 32 policy projects that resulted from 12 strategies according to 4 policy objectives. Results: Analysis of 32 mental health projects were assessed regarding the possibility of technology development success, magnitude of the ripple effect, and necessity of a national response. It was observed that 3 policy projects relevant to suicide, had a high relative priority. This was followed by policies for improvement of health insurance and the medical benefit cost system, and policies for reinforcement of crisis psychological support such as those for disaster victims. Conclusion: The prioritization of mental health services should place an emphasis on promotion of a healthy mental lifestyle, rehabilitation support for patients with serious mental illness, and reinforcement of social safety networks for suicide prevention.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.102-107
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• 2021

Background: This study was conducted to identify the association between sleep duration and suicidal ideation among farmers in Korea. Methods: We used Safety for Agricultural Injuries of Farmers cohort data collected from September 2015 to June 2018, which was an agricultural survey on the health and behaviors of adult farmers in Jeju island, Korea. Results: A total of 964 participants were included in the analysis, and 3.7% of them were identified with having suicidal ideation. The frequencies of average daily sleep duration of <6 h (short sleep), 6-8 h (normal sleep), and >8 h (long sleep) were 24.4%, 70%, and 5.6%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that short sleep duration was significantly associated with suicidal ideation compared with normal sleep duration (odds ratio = 2.49, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-5.77). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that short sleep duration in farmers result in higher suicidal ideation. Because individuals who have suicidal ideation often commit suicide, careful monitoring is required to prevent suicide in farmers with short sleep duration.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.436-443
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• 2022

Objectives: Previous studies have reported that self-neglect, which may be a sign of elder abuse, can result in suicide among older adults. The signs of self-neglect and its impact on the risk of suicide may differ by gender. Thus, this study explored the association between self-neglect and suicide risk in older Korean adults and examined the potential moderating effect of gender on this relationship. Methods: Data were collected from 356 Korean adults aged 65 or older through an online survey. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the research hypothesis. First, the associations between 4 sub-dimensions of self-neglect (i.e., daily life management issues, personal hygiene issues, financial management issues, and relational issues) and suicidal ideation were examined. Then, the moderating effect of gender on these relationships was investigated by including interaction terms. Results: Self-neglect was significantly associated with suicidal ideation in older adults. Aspects of self-neglect related to daily life management and relational factors were key predictors of suicidal ideation. Gender significantly moderated the effect of the relational dimension of self-neglect on suicidal ideation. The relational dimension of self-neglect was more strongly associated with suicidal ideation in older women than in older men. Conclusions: The findings suggest the importance of screening older adults with signs of self-neglect for suicide risk. Special attention should be paid to older women who experience relational issues as a high-risk group for suicidal ideation. Public programs and support systems should be established to improve daily life management and promote social relationships among older adults.

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

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.149-160
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• 2014

The suicide rate in the elderly is continually increasing. Effective suicide prevention requires that factors affecting suicidal ideation are specifically identified and personalized intervention programs are developed. This study aimed to identify the influencing factors of suicidal ideation in Korean elderly. The data of the 2012 Korean National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed by using the SPSS program. Frequency, percentile, Chi-square test, multiple logistic regression were used. The influencing factors of suicidal ideation were education, income, exercise, perceived stress and depression. The Odds Ratio of the depression was 5.68 and the Odds Ratio of the perceived stress was 3.45. This study suggested that elderly suicidal prevention programs should be developed in preventing and reducing stress and depression.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.130-140
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• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore levels of suicidal ideation and identify subgroups of high suicidal risk among the depressed elderly in Korea. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted on secondary data from the 6th (1st year) Korean national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES). A total of 239 depressed elders aged 60 or over who participated in the KNHANES. The prevalence of suicidal ideation and its related factors, including sociodemographic, physical, psychological characteristics and quality of life (EQ-5D index) were examined. Descriptive statistics and a decision tree analysis were performed using the SPSS/WIN 23.0 and SPSS Modeler 14.2 programs. Results: Of the depressed elderly, 28.9% had suicidal ideation. Three groups with high suicidal ideation were identified. Predictive factors included perceived stress level, household income level, quality of life and restriction of activity. In the highest risk group were those depressed elderly with moderate and low levels of stress, less than .71 of EQ-5D index and restriction of activity, and 80.0% of these participants had suicidal ideation. The accuracy of the model was 80.8%, its sensitivity 85.9%, and its specificity 68.1%. Conclusion: Multi-dimensional intervention should be designed to decrease suicide among the depressed elderly, particularly focusing on subgroups with high risk factors. This research is expected to contribute itself to the policy design and solution building in the future as it suggests policy implications in preventing the suicide of the depressed elderly.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.30-40
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the associations of food security with socio-demographic characteristics, nutrient intakes and mental health status among older Korean adults. Methods: This study was conducted using data from the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Subjects were 4,451 adults aged 65~98 years. Food security was measured using a self-reported question on food sufficiency of subjects' household. Based on the answers, study subjects were classified into secure, mildly insecure, moderately insecure, and severely insecure groups. Dietary intake was estimated by 24-hour dietary recall. Nutrient intake was assessed by dietary reference intakes (DRI). As for mental health status, the data on mental stress, depression, and suicide ideation were used. Results: Rate of food insecurity in older adults was 14.3%. Old age, being female, low education, low income level, living alone, and discomfort in daily living were more related to food insecurity. Means of nutrient intakes were significantly different according to food security status. Intakes of calcium, potassium, and vitamin $B_2$ were lower than recommended intakes in all groups. Consumption amounts of soy and soybean products, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, vegetable oils, meats, eggs, seafood, and dairy products were lower in food insecure groups. Mental stress, depression, and suicide ideation were higher in food insecure groups independent of the gender and income level. Conclusions: These present findings suggested that food security is related to mental health as well as nutrition status in older Korean adults. A national system that include food and psychosocial support programs for the elderly should be considered in order to improve the overall health of older Korean adults.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.3685-3695
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• 2014

This study was performed to determine the suicide ideation and its association with hopelessness, psychosocial stress and depression among some middle school students. The survey was administered to 975 middle school students in Gyeongin area during the period, May $1^{st}$ to June $30^{th}$, 2013. Structured self-administered questionnaires were delivered and collected without the respondents' personal information. As a result, concerning the correlation of depression with various factors, the level of suicide ideation was positively correlated with hopelessness, psychosocial stress and depression. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the factors influencing the suicide ideation included sex distinction, experience of alcohol drinking, hobbies and leisure life, subjective health status, grade, school violence experience, hopelessness, psychosocial stress and depression. An analysis of the covariance structure, hopelessness (BHOP) was more influential on the suicide ideation than psychosocial stress (PWI) and depression (CES-D). The study found that higher hopelessness, severe distress and higher depression tends to increase the suicide ideation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2005

Injury has recently become a major world-wide health problem. Injury related deaths occur in many actively working young people and produce major social and economical losses. However health related specialists do not recognize the importance of injury and there have not been many studies related to this problem. This research studied the trends of injury related research in Korea, mortality rate and prevalence rate, socio-economical losses and control in Korea and out of the country, based on literature from Korea and without such as statistical yearly reports on causes of deaths and OECD health reports, as well as WHO web sites. Studies in Korea about injury were very few, with 9 in the 1960's, 5 in the 1980's, 4 in the 1990's and 5 in 2000's. Mortality rate of injury was higher in Korea than in England, USA or Japan, especially in car accidents, suicide and falls. In Korea, the yearly trends in mortality rates were highest in car accidents but those rates are falling, suicide is steadily rising, with highest rate in 2003. Falls is in second rank with no change in rates. In 2003, the ten causes of death in Korea were suicide in 5th rank, transport accidents in 7th rank, and falls in 10th rank. Considering age groups, in the teens, transport accidents were 1st rank, in the 20's and 30's, suicide was 1st rank, and although there were some differences, falls, drowning, assault, fire were in the top 10. Prevalence rates of injury could not be known, but in 2001, according to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, lifelong injury was 10%, and yearly major injury was 1.3%, major injury for two weeks was 0.1%, and minor injury was 10%. In other foreign countries, injury has become to be recognized as a major health related problem, and much programs are being set up to reduce injury related deaths and injuries. WHO is putting much effort in prevention of violence and transport accidents, and in the USA, Canada and Europe, there are injury surveillance systems. Recently, as suicide is increasing rapidly and providing much problems, each country are managing suicide prevention programs. In Korea, Ministry of Construction and Transportation is managing and guiding the policies for prevention of transport accidents. In September of 2004, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has set up a 5 year plan of suicide prevention.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.97-107
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examined the association between unemployment and suicidal ideation in Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) IV, conducted in 2009. Statistical analysis methods used in this study were $x^2$-test, Hierarchial logistic regression analysis and other basic statistics using SPSS version 19.0. Results: The suicidal ideation of unemployment workers was 24.7% in male and 35.9% in female. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and health-related characteristics, the risk for suicidal ideation of unemployment workers was significantly higher than employment workers. In men, the OR for suicidal ideation of the employed workers compared with the employed was 2.13, and in women, the OR was 1.31. Conclusions: The findings suggest the impact of unemployment status on suicidal ideation and the need for further prospective investigation that lead to interventions should be required to introduce of suicide prevention program for unemployment worker.