• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to identify the group with high risk of suicide in general hospital inpatient by comparing the depression, anxiety, and distress and their clinical characteristics. Methods : The study included all patients admitted to a general hospital between January 2016 and December 2017, and the final 41,249 patients were analyzed. Distress thermometer (DT) and hospital anxiety-depression scale (HADS) were used for emotional state evaluation. Group with high risk of suicide was defined as showing more than 4 in the DT and more than 8 in one of the two subscales (anxiety and depression) of the HADS. Results : Among the subjects, 3,603 patients (8.7%) met the high-risk criteria for suicide. The group with high risk of suicide experienced more severe pain than the control patient group, and it was found that there was more underlying disease. Patients who reported pain showed higher scores than those who reported no pain on the DT and HADS subscales. Conclusions : Group with high risk of suicide showed more severe pain and more underlying disease. Therefore, suicide prevention program specifically targeted for the group with high risk of suicide should be developed according to the risk of the patient evaluated at the time of the admission.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-25
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• 2017

Objectives: There is higher rates of experience of suicide ideation and suicide attempt of adolescents in the Lima and Callao region compared with the results of the epidemiological study (2013) conducted by Peru National Institute of Mental Health and the Global School-based Student Health Survey (2010) which is was conducted among adolescents across all regions of Peru. Based on the PRECEDE model, this study analyzed the prevalence and the factor associated with the suicide attempt among the adolescent in a poor urban area in Peru. Methods: A stratified random sampling was used for the survey to select study participants from the 6 secondary schools based in Comas or Callao. The survey was conducted November 25th and December 4th in 2015 and a total of 738 individuals included in the analysis. In order to analyze factors influencing suicide attempt, comparison of predisposing factor, reinforcing factor, enabling factor, behavioral factor, environmental factor, psychological factors by suicide attempt and suicide risk group were identified through the chi-square test and hierarchical logistic regression. Results: Results showed that those who reported having less parental understanding, less time spent with parents, and 'almost none/none' for parental affection had more experience of suicide attempt and were more likely to sort into the high suicide risk group. Also, a greater proportion of those with the experience of suicide attempt had more experience of smoking and alcohol consumption, and experience of physical abuse and feeling insulted and depression in comparison to that of those without experience of suicide attempt. Variables that had a significant effect on suicide attempt included depression, subjective happiness, smoking experience, sexual intercourse, involvement in fight, parental affection, and gender (male). Conclusions: The results of the current study can serve as grounds for the necessity of acknowledging that adolescent suicide does not simply depend on a couple of factors, but arises from situations in which individual, home, school, social factors influence one another, and therefore adolescent suicide should be prevented and addressed through a multi-dimensional and integrated approach.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.183-189
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate community mental health professionals and hospital workers attitude and awareness towards suicide. Methods : This study investigated 264 community mental health professionals and 228 hospital workers. SOQs (Suicidal Opinion Questionnaires) were used from July 2007 to September 2007. After a factor analysis for the attitude towards suicide, the items on ethics, mental illness, religion, risk, and motivation were included in the subsequent analysis. Results : There were significant differences in the attitude towards suicide according to religion, age, educational background, the marriage status, the economic position, and different professional licenses. Hospital workers' view was different from the community workers'. The hospital workers judged that suicide was due to mental illness, and suicide was high for the people in a special environment and who lacked motivation, which caused them to fall in a dangerous situation. For the lower educational group, they thought that suicide was attributable to mental illness. The awareness for suicide was significantly higher in the group with a postgraduate education, unmarried people, mental health professionals and the persons who had concern and experience with suicide. The factors that had an influence on the awareness of suicide were the items of mental illness, religion, risk and motivational factors. Conclusions : This study suggested that the factors to increase the awareness and attitude for suicide were the experience of increased education and case management of suicide. Therefore, education dealing with suicide and reinforcement of crisis management programs should be developed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2009

Purpose: By analyzing factors related to suicide ideation of Korean middle and high school students, the purpose of this study was to multi-dimensionally understand suicide ideation of Korean middle and high school students and arrange the plans to prevent suicide. Methods: This study used and analyzed the data on ‘The 3rd (Year2007) Korea Youth Health Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYHRBWS)' conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this study, we analyzed 74,698 respondents in total. SPSS 12.0 Program was used to analyze the survey. Descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Test and multivariate logistic regression were also used as research methods. Results: 23.8% of the Korean middle and high school students had suicide ideation during the last one year. Girls had higher possibility of suicide ideation by 1.51 times compared to boys. Students with poor academic achievement had more suicide ideation. In terms of health characteristics, students who perceived themselves as not healthy, and students with short weekday sleeping hours, more drinking experience and more smoking experience had more suicide ideation than others. Furthermore, students who perceived themselves as overweight or obese had more suicide ideation than other students. In terms of mental characteristics, students with high level of stress, low level of happiness and depression had more suicide ideation. Conclusion: As a result of this study, we found out that the factor that had the biggest influence on suicide ideation of Korean middle and high school students was depression. Consequently, active supports and policies to decrease suicide ideation of Korean middle and high school students are necessary. Therefore, active interviews, education for suicide prevention, and periodical screening inspection should be introduced in schools.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2020

Objectives: There is an increasing number of North Korean adolescents in South Korea. These adolescents need clinical attention as they experience a high risk of suicidal behavior because of the childhood adversity and acculturative challenges that they face before and after arriving in South Korea. This study assessed the risk of suicide attempts among North Korean adolescents compared to South Korean adolescents, and investigated the contributing factors for each group. Methods: We used data from the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS) spanning 2011 to 2018, in which 404 adolescents had a father and/or mother who was a North Korean native. Data on 1,212 propensity-matched South Korean adolescents were extracted from the 2011 to 2018 KYRBS. Prevalence was calculated and compared by group. Separate odds ratios were calculated by group. Results: The North Korean group had a significantly higher suicide attempt rate [unadjusted odds ratio (OR)=8.27; adjusted OR=8.45]. Multivariate analysis indicated that having a low or high socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with suicide attempts in North Korean adolescents, while being female, having a high socioeconomic status, alcohol use, and depressive symptoms were significantly related to suicide attempts in South Korean adolescents. Conclusion: The results found similarities and differences in the factors associated with the likelihood of suicide attempts in the two groups. From these results, different approaches are needed when planning interventions for each group.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.369-375
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• 2013

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between employment transitions and suicide ideation among the echo generation. Methods: This study used survey data from the 2008 and 2010 Seoul Welfare Panel Study (Wave I, II). The sample population was restricted to the echo generation aged between18 and 31, and the total of 882 samples were included in the final dataset. Employment transitions were categorized into four groups. The groups were defined as 'employed-employed', 'unemployed-employed', 'employed-unemployed', and 'unemployed-unemployed'. We used logistic regression to find out the association between employment transitions and suicide ideation among the echo generation. Results: 'Employed-unemployed' and 'unemployed-unemployed' groups were likely to have an association with depression (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46 to 1.51; OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.56 to 1.59) accordingly. 'Unemployed-unemployed' group also was related to suicide ideation (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.36 to 1.42). Interestingly, 'unemployed-employed' group showed a strong association with suicide ideation among the echo generation (OR, 3.85; 95% CI, 3.75 to 3.95). Conclusion: Experience in unemployment increases the risk of depression and suicide ideation. Moreover, the precarious job also increases the risk of suicide ideation.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.623-641
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• 2016

The psychological autopsy is a method to estimate causes of suicidal death by collecting data from interviewing suicide victim's family added with additional life records. Recently, local governments and suicide prevention centers have been trying to implement psychological autopsy. but there is paucity of efforts examining the validity and effectiveness of the psychological autopsy. Therefore, this paper reviewed psychological autopsy studies and risk factors in Western and Asia countries. and then a methodology for the Korean version of psychological autopsy was suggested. After investigating the specific risk factors for korean suicide through psychological autopsy, then it can be possible to grasp the intervention point for effective suicide prevention. We also propose future directions for psychological autopsy study and interventions in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2019

Objectives : Epidemiological studies in other countries show that a low intake of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) increases the risk of depression or suicidality. However, no studies have investigated the associations of suicidality with omega-3 FAs in Korea. Hence, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effects of omega FAs on suicidality in the general South Korean population. Methods : The data in this study were sourced from adults (n=215,860) who completed the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), and the associations between omega FAs and suicidality were analyzed using multivariate logistic regressions. Results : Our results demonstrated that high omega-3 FA intake was associated with a decreased risk of suicide (OR=0.83, 95% CI : 0.71-0.98) and the high omega-6 to omega-3 FA ratio was associated with an increased risk of suicide (OR=1.25, 95% CI : 1.02-1.54). Additionally, a high intake of omega-3 FAs was associated with a decreased risk of suicide in men, but not in women (OR=0.72, 95% CI : 0.59-0.88). Conclusions : Overall, our findings suggest that a lower intake of omega-3 FA is associated with the increased risk of suicidality in the general Korean population, especially in men.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.60-65
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• 2017

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been noted as a significant risk factor for possible suicide attempts. According to the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide, individuals can attempt suicide after they have acquired the capability to commit it. The acquired capability for suicide can be defined as one's habituated level to the pain and fear associated with suicidal behaviors. This is obtained through constant exposure to painful and provocative events, NSSIs being a prime example. This article reviews prior related studies to determine the extent to which the acquired capability for suicide can be utilized as a predictive factor for fatal suicide attempts following NSSIs. Our review finds a total of 11 studies that directly or indirectly support the claim that the acquired capability for suicide should be considered as a relevant factor linking NSSIs and suicide attempts. Given that NSSIs are most frequently observed in clinical settings, our findings suggest that the acquired capability for suicide will be a useful indicator for clinicians to predict the risk of future suicide attempts by patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2023

Objectives This study aimed to review the Korean Constitution articles 14 and 20 of the "Law on suicide prevention" and investigate public perceptions of specific improvements to suicide prevention policies using results from the Korean 2018 National Survey on Suicide. Methods The questionnaire was designed to analyzing the act restricts sharing of patient information between hospitals, making it difficult to track suicide attempts. The questionnaire was also designed to suggest further medical and normative criteria for objective judgment of continuous follow-up utilizing suicide risk evaluations and proportional principle review that consider patients' and medical staff's basic rights. Results This study identified the result of the 1500 respondents, 79.1% believed that Korea should allow suicide prevention management to be implemented without requiring individual consent to protect suicide attempters. Conclusions According the results, I propose the following criteria for policy improvement: use of anonymized information and non-profit research for technical and ethical considerations, access to medical information only for therapeutic purposes, and use of surgical severity assessment criteria appropriate for Korea.