• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.193-200
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• 2020

Objectives: Adolescent suicide, a major cause of adolescent death, is affected by various factors, including attitudes toward suicide. This study investigated the association between parenting style and adolescents' attitudes toward suicide and the mediating role of attitude toward suicide between parenting style and suicidal ideation. Methods: We surveyed 1,071 adolescents from eight middle schools in Incheon, Korea. The survey included sociodemographic information, attitudes toward suicide, perception of parenting style, depression severity, and suicidality. Results: Students in the authoritarian parenting group had a more permissive attitude toward suicide compared with the democratic and permissive parenting groups. These students considered that suicide is justified in certain situations and that choosing suicide is an individual's right. They also had a negative attitude toward talking about suicide or intervening in others' suicide. This association remained statistically significant after adjusting for the impact of confounding factors that could affect attitudes toward suicide, except for suicidal processes and preparedness to prevent suicide. In the mediation analysis, we observed that some factors of the attitudes toward suicide mediated between authoritarian parenting attitudes and suicidal ideation, namely, suicide as a right, preventability, suicide as normal/common, preparedness to prevent suicide, and resignation. Conclusion: This study revealed the significant impact of parenting style on children's attitudes toward suicide. Educating parents about the appropriate parenting attitudes-sympathetic and rational-can help prevent youth suicide.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.240-250
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• 2013

The early detection of suicidal ideation is essential for the prevention of suicide. This study aimed to develop a brief screening tool that can be easily administered in medical settings. The Suicide Risk Screening Tool was designed for use by physicians to provide a screening process that would be reliable, standardized, quick and feasible to implement. A 2-item screening tool was derived from the Screening for Depression and Thoughts of Suicide in the Norton Sound region of Alaska, USA. The scale was modified to reflect the current situation in Korea including the elimination of the personal identification number, and was labeled the Korean Suicide Risk Screening Tool. Its reliability and applicability for medical setting were examined by explanatory study of 7 clinicians. Its validity was examined among a further 325 patients of four different medical institutions, using the results of interviewer-administered survey included demographic, clinical characteristics, and present mental status as the external criterion. A brief 2-item suicide risk screening tool can be used by mental and non-mental health clinicians to accurately detect suicidality in patients.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2013

The increasing suicide rate is a serious problem in Korea. Because of increased awareness of suicidality as a problem and because completed suicide is the fourth leading cause of death, it is very important to assess the risk of suicide. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic examination of predictive validity of measures of suicidal ideation and behavior. A number of instruments are described as useful for identifying individuals "at high risk" for suicidal behavior. However, the predictive validity for most suicide measures has not been established. The present review only includes suicide assessment instruments with published predictive validity. In addition to evaluating the suicide assessment with respect to predictive validity, the present review describes and summarizes the psychometric properties of each measure. In conclusion, because of the complexity of studying the risk of suicide and the paucity of well-designed studies, it is extremely difficult to compare and generalize these findings. In addition, only a few instruments, such as the Scale for Suicide Ideation, Suicide Intent Scale and the Beck Hopelessness Scale, have been found to be significant risk factors for completed suicide. Another problem in the field involves that there have been few suicide measures designed for elderly populations. Clearly, future research is needed to investigate the predictive validity of standardized measures for completed suicide, especially targeting elderly populations.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.294-301
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• 2011

Objectives : This study investigated factors related to suicide in high school students and focused on perceived academic performance. Methods : We surveyed 293 grade 10 high-school students in Jeju and Gyeonggi provinces and gave them self-assessment questionnaires. To evaluate the suicide risk, the questionnaire included questions about suicidal thoughts, plans, threats, deliberate self-injury, and suicide attempts from the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI). Also, it included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Locus of Control Scale (LOC), Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale (RSE) and Perceived Academic Performance (PAP) to identify factors related to suicide in high school students. Results : Depression, hopelessness, and low self-esteem were related with suicidal thoughts, plans, attempts, and severe suicidal ideation (SSI score${geq}$16). In the multivariate analysis, a low level of PAP (OR=3.796, 95%CI 1.280-11.257) was significantly associated with severe suicidal ideation (SSI score${geq}$16). Deliberate self-injury was most prevalent in failing the PAP group and also having a high level of PAP (OR=6.161, 95%CI 1.474-25.760). Conclusion : The authors found that the suicide risk of high school students is related to depression, hopelessness, low self-esteem and a low level of PAP. These results provide significant indicators in planning an adolescent suicide prevention program.

• 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.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2021

Objective : Current study investigated the association between internet addiction and suicidal attempts in psychiatric patients. Methods : Patients who visited emergency department or psychiatry outpatient unit of Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2020 to July 2021 were included in this study. Total of 192 participants, 96 suicidal attempt cases and 96 psychiatric control patients without history of suicidal attempt were matched by gender and baseline diagnosis. Depression and internet addiction were assessed by using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Independent t-tests, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results : IAT scores were significantly higher in suicidal attempt case group (41.09±18.196 years) compared to psychiatric control patients without history of suicidal attempt (36.63±17.016 years) (p=0.040). Internet addiction (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]=2.049, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=1.004-4.539, p=0.0493) was an independent risk factor for suicidal attempt in psychiatric patients after controlling age, gender, and sociodemographic factors, such as marital status, education level and employment status. Conclusion : This is the first study to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and suicidal attempt in psychiatric patients in Korea. Internet addiction is significantly associated with suicidal attempt in psychiatric patients, after adjusting sociodemographic variables. This study provides evidence to future studies to further investigate on causality of internet addiction and suicidality in psychiatric patients.

• Journal of the Korean society of biological therapies in psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.230-238
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• 2018

Objectives : Among adolescents, the proportion of daily smoking tends to increase with age, and does not return to the previous level. Therefore, we examined the factors associated with smoking frequency in a nationwide sample of Korean adolescents to help prevent the progression of smoking. Methods : Among 127,804 adolescents who participated in the 2016 and 2017 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, data from 7,781 adolescents who replied that they currently smoked were analyzed. According to the frequency of cigarette smoking, participants were classified into daily and non-daily smokers. Participants' socio-demographic characteristics, smoking behavior, and psychological problems including perceived stress, depressive mood, and suicidality were assessed. Results : There were 3,627(47.4%) daily smokers and 4,154(52.6%) non-daily smokers. Low parental educational level, and early smoking experience were positively associated with daily smoking. High academic achievement, and high socio-economic status were negatively associated with daily smoking. Daily smoking was positively associated with lower happiness, lower sleep satisfaction, and severe stress during the past 12 months. Factors affecting suicide attempts of smokers were sex, residential type, socioeconomic status, and early smoking experience. Conclusion : The results indicated that socially disadvantaged families, and smoking experience with young age influenced daily smoking among Korean adolescents. Daily smoking was associated with psychological problems including lower happiness, lower sleep satisfaction, and severe stress. Early smoking experience influenced suicidal attempts among Korean adolescent smokers. Early intervention for smoking cessation in this high-risk group may contribute to prevention of these psychiatric complications of smoking.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.144-153
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• 2021

Objectives: Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders in adolescents and seem to occur the earliest among all forms of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of anxiety severity with health risk behaviors and mental health in adolescents. Methods: Data from the 2020 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey were analyzed. A total of 54948 adolescents responded to the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) for the assessment of their anxiety severity as well as to the mental health and health risk behavior survey. Logistic regression analysis, t tests, and variance analysis of a complex sample general linear model were used to examine the association of anxiety severity with health behaviors and mental health. Results: After statistical adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, the subjects in the severe anxiety group were significantly more likely to be current smokers (odds ratio [OR]: 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72-2.50), current drinkers (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.67-2.19), experience habitual substance use (OR: 10.89, 95% CI: 8.22-14.42), have sexual intercourse (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.76-2.51), and have unprotected intercourse (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.67-2.92) than those in the normal group. Anxiety severity negatively correlated with sleep satisfaction and happiness, but positively correlated with stress perception, loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Conclusion: Adolescent anxiety is associated with health risk behaviors and poor mental health. Thus, early screening and intervention for anxiety in adolescents could contribute to the management and coping of youth health risk behaviors in the community.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2020

Objectives : Evidence regarding the association between untreated depression in adolescence and suicidal risk in male young adults is scarce. We aimed to assess the effect of untreated illness during adolescence on the suicidal risk and attempt after that first episode. Methods : As part of a cross-sectional study, between May 2017 and April 2018, a total of 260 patients with currently unipolar or bipolar depression were included in the final analysis. Multiple linear and logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the association between untreated mood disorder in adolescence and its effect on the suicidal risk and attempt. Results : In total 260 patients, 189 were classified as untreated group. The proportion of suicide attempts, total depression score, suicidal risk and number of suicide attempts were significantly higher in the untreated group. The most predictive factors of suicide attempts were history of untreated depression [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)=4.19, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=2.25-7.81, p<0.001] and diagnosis of bipolar depression (AOR=2.60, 95% CI=1.52-4.46, p<0.001). Conclusions : Although the untreated depression suggests higher rates of suicidality, a significant proportion (86.7%) of adolescent depression in this study did not receive psychiatric treatment. Future research should be needed to find better ways to decrease barriers in using mental health treatment and its contribution to reduction and prevention of adverse outcome.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.70-82
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• 1997

Objective：This study was performed to identify and understand the characteristics of adolescents who had a history of police arrest and/or were adjudicated unruly/delinquent by the juvenile court. Method：The study employed a retrospective reivew of coumputer-recorded data set on 210 consecutive admissions to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit. Three groups(No Police Contact, N=115；Police Contact Only, N=60；Adjudicated, N=35) were compared on the areas of a) cognitive and educational performance b) emotion：anxiety, depression, suicidality c) personality d) family and life experiences. Standardized assessments were administered to all subjects using WISC-Ⅲ, Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory, Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, Revised-Chilren’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, Suicide Ideation Questionnarie, Suicide Behavior Interive, Life Events Checklist, and Family Environmental Scale. A subgroup of the subjects, 60 cases also received a standardized interview by Child Assessment Schedule. Results：The characteristic findings of the delinquent group(the police contact only and adjudicated subjects combined) included (1) a high rate of adoption, sexual promiscuity, out of home placement, and repeated psychiatric hospitalization, (2) low verbal IQ scores and educational achievements, (3) high impulsivity, low social conformity, and high forcefulness in personality inventory, (4) low activityrecreation orientation and low moral religious emphasis in family environment, (5)a high frequency of adverse life experiences, (6) among 3 groups, the Police Contact Only group showed the lowest depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation scores, (7) a high diagnostic frequency of conduct disorder, ODD, and ADHD. Conclusions：The adolescent psychiatric inpatients with a delinquent history presented with a certain clinical, family, psychometric characteristics that warrant specific clinical intervention strategies for their cognitive deficits, an impulsive personality style, family dysfunction with adverse life experiences and disruptive behavioral disorders, different from the rest of adolescent psychiatric inpatients.