• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of suicide attempters visiting emergency department in a general hospital located at local city. Methods: To investigate the characteristics of suicide attempters, the medical records of 201 suicide attempters were reviewed with a structured analytic sheet. Data were analyzed using ${\chi}^2$ test, two sample t-test, and oneway ANOVA. Results: Among total of 201 suicide attempters, 114 (56.7%) lived in rural areas. 114 (56.7%) were men and most of them (71, 35.3%) lived in rural areas. 155 (77.5%) was the first trier and the most frequently used method was taking pesticides. There were gender and regional differences in the suicide-related characteristics of suicide attempters. Conclusion: The results provide empirical evidences to design and implement strategies at both macro and micro levels to prevent suicide.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.100-106
• /
• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to find out the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of elderly suicide attempters visiting emergency room, compared to non-elderly adult suicide attempters. Methods : We enrolled suicidal attempters who were treated in the emergency room of the Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital between June 2013 and July 2015. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 336 suicidal attempters, and compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between elderly and non-elderly adult suicide attempters. Results : During the study period, 336 patients visited the emergency room of the medical center after suicide attempts. Among these, there were 71 elderly(21.2%) and 265 non-elderly adult(79.8%) suicide attempters. The suicidal methods among elderly were poisoning(73.3%), hanging(19.7%), cutting(5.6%), and jumping(1.4%). Those in non-elderly were poisoning(73.2%), cutting(17.0%), hanging(6.8%), and jumping(3.0%). The elderly suicide attempters had the tendency to choose more dangerous methods and showed higher lethality compared to adult suicide attempters(20.6% vs. 1.9%, ${\chi}^2=34.565$, p<0.05). On the other hand, premorbid psychiatric disorders had been more commonly diagnosed in non-elderly adults than elderly suicide attempters(49.8% vs. 26.8%, ${\chi}^2=12.024$, p<0.05). Conclusions : The results provide evidence of different sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of elderly suicide attempters compared to non-elderly ones visiting the emergency room. Through this study, it can be seen that the suicide attempt in the elderly tends to be severer than in the non-elderly, but only a small portion of them seek for help from psychiatric intervention. Further study is required to provide effective suicide prevention programs for elderly population.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
• /
• no.40
• /
• pp.255-283
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine the pathways of factors that influence adolescent's suicidal ideation of suicide attempters and non-attempters and to compare path coefficients between the two groups. Results from simultaneous analysis of multiple populations suggest that the path model was appropriate for both groups. However, significant differences in path coefficients were found. Parental abuse and peer victimization had direct effects on adolescent's suicidal ideation only among the adolescent suicide non-attempters. Burdensomeness and hopelessness had direct effects on adolescent's suicidal ideation, whereas thwarted belongingness did not have direct effects for both groups. Peer victimization appear to have an indirect effect through burdensomeness for both groups of adolescents. Only among the adolescent suicide non-attempters, parental abuse had an indirect effect on suicidal ideation through burdensomeness, and burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness had indirect effects on suicidal ideation through hopelessness. The results indicate that differentiated approaches are required to prevent suicidal ideation for adolescent suicide attempters and non-attempters.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.15-20
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Suicide is the major public mental health concerns all over the world. The comparison of suicide attempters and suicide completers could be the fundamental evidence for the suicide prevention. The aim of this study is to explore the differences between suicide attempters and suicide completers in terms of the stressors, suicide methods, and psychiatric diagnosis. Methods: Two types of secondary data were collected for the analyses. Data of the suicide attempters (n = 680) were gathered by intensive reviewing the medical records of Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Data of suicide completers (n = 11,722) were collected by the psychological autopsy data which were gathered by Korean Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicidal methods, psychiatric disorders and stressors before suicidal attempt were compared between suicide attempter and completers. Results: Suicide completers were older and male predominant compared to suicidal attempt. Hanging or gas intoxication were more commonly used in the suicide completion, while wrist cutting or drug intoxication were more common in suicide attempters. All types of stressors were found to be high in suicide completers than suicide attempters. However, the proportion of economic and physical stress were greater in suicide completers, while the proportion of family stress were greater in suicide attempters. According to the recorded diagnoses, the rates of depressive disorders, sleep-wake disorders, substance-related disorders were higher in suicide completers, while the rates of anxiety disorders and trauma- and stressor-related disorders, bipolar and related disorders and somatic symptom disorders were higher in suicide attempters. However, after controlling the gender and age, there were no significant differences in diagnosis between suicide attempters and suicide completers. Conclusion: These findings implicate that suicide attempters and completers differed in suicide methods and type of stress. The results suggests that economic stressors, physical illness might raise the risk of suicide completion.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.93-102
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients attempting suicide and to analyze treatment determination factors for patients with mental illness who go to an emergency center for treatment. Methods: Data collected from 117 suicide attempters who visited Busan Regional Emergency Medical Center were analyzed using frequency, percentage, ${\chi}^2$-test with SPSS/WIN 15.0. Results: Only 31 cases consulted with the psychiatric department; the other attempters' refused to consult (26.5%). Among the 31 attempters who consulted, 23 cases (74.2%) were suffering from depression. The most common reason (38.6%) suicidal attempters gave to refuse psychiatric treatment was "I'm not mad. I don't need the psychiatric treatment". Treatment determination factors for mental illness were religion (p<.001), past history (p=.017), financial satisfaction (p=.048), previous history of suicidal attempts (p=.006), sleep disturbance (p<.001), expression of suicide (p=.010), and type of leaving the emergency room (p=.020, p<.001). Conclusion: Results suggest that people frequently misunderstand psychiatric treatment which leads to their refusal to accept psychiatric treatment. Therefore hospitals need to develop standard guidelines and procedures for suicidal attempters with the collaboration of emergency and psychiatry departments. In addition, medical teams need to provide attempters appropriate information and encourage them to actively seek psychiatric treatment.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.118-124
• /
• 2018

Objectives Although impulsivity has long been thought as an important factor influencing suicidal behaviors, it is unknown whether impulsivity increases the risk of dying from suicidal behaviors and what specific component among constructs of impulsivity contributes to the risk of dying among suicide attempters. Methods To elucidate the association between impulsivity and medical lethality of suicide attempt among suicide attempters, we consecutively recruited 46 suicide attempters who visited an emergency room of a general hospital located in a metropolitan area, Seoul, Republic of Korea, due to suicide attempts and consented to participate in this study. Then we assessed medical lethality with the Beck Lethality Scale (LS) and impulsivity with the Korean version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11-Revised (BIS). Demographic variables were obtained from medical records and structured social work reports for suicide attempters. Results Although total scores of the BIS did not correlate with LS scores, only the scores of self-control, that is one of the Barrett's six theoretical constructs of impulsivity in which the higher score indicates less self-control and more impulsivity, had a significant positive correlation with scores of LS (p = 0.003). The association remained significant after adjusting for variables known to affect suicide lethality such as job status, recent alcohol consumption, diagnosis of depressive disorders, and having a plan for suicide (${\beta}=0.429$, p = 0.009). Conclusions Not impulsivity in general, but poor self-control, in particular, predicts lethal suicidal behaviors among suicide attempters. The degree of self-control should be evaluated when assessing patients with elevated suicide risk, and proper measures should be installed to prevent possible future lethal suicide attempts.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.3-11
• /
• 2015

Objective : The aim of this study was to find associations between specific symptoms and suicidal behavior by using global severity on depression scales. Methods : Data were obtained from 1,183 patients of CRESCEND study. Factor analysis of the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to compare symptom clusters between the past suicide attempters and the non-suicide attempters, among the patients with depressive disorders. Results : Factor analyses of HAM-D and BDI-II extracted three factors. Suicide attempters had significantly higher scores on core factor of HAM-D, including depressed mood, feeling of guilt, suicide, work, and activities. The higher scores on all factors of BDI-II or scores correlated with a total of 7 suicide attempts and with known risk factors for suicidal behavior. Conclusion : These findings suggest that the suicide attempters complained of more cognitive, affective, somatic symptoms on BDI-II, but the core factor on HAM-D was the only differentiated factor between the two groups. Clinician-rated scales as well as self-reported questionnaires were valid in measuring suicidal attempts, and the clinical profile may help in guiding the studies of biological correlates and the treatments to reduce suicide risk.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.40-49
• /
• 2012

Objectives : To examine emotional and psychological characteristics associated with suicide attempts in depressed patients. Methods : A sample of 37 inpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder or depressive disorder NOS was divided into two groups : lifetime suicide attempters(N=15 ; 40.54%), non-attempters(N=22 ; 59.46%). Beck Depression Scale(BDI), Beck Anxiety Scale(BAI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HARS), and MMPI-2 were used to evaluate symptoms severity and psychological characteristics. Results : Suicide attempters scored higher on the BDI though there were no group differences on the HDRS and on the both anxiety scales. Also they showed higher scores on the F, Fb, Pa, RC1, DEP, HEA, PK, AAS among MMPI-2 subscales. Our findings suggest that suicide attempters among depressed patients undergo more severe subjective distress and difficulties in adjustment than non-attempters. Also they were more hostile to others and showed lower trust. Lastly, they showed more somatic complaints and substance related problems. Conclusion : The present study showed that suicide attempters among depressed patients have distinct emotional and psychological characteristics. MMPI-2 would be helpful to assess suicidal risk of depressed patients.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.60-63
• /
• 2019

The rate of suicide is the 5th leading cause of death in Korea. Moreover, suicide is the 1st cause of death in from 2nd to 4th decade. In order to treat suicide attempters who have visited the emergency room and to prevent retries, it is necessary to understand the nature of the suicide and to take the right approach. Suicide is more than doubled in women, and retry rates are high among patients with a history of suicide. Suicidal means are throat, fall, gas poisoning, poisoning and drowning. All suicide attempters should suspect and treat cervical spine injury and airway management, and rapid hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended for carbon monoxide addicts. Interviewing a suicide attempter requires a sympathetic attitude and examines the underlying depression or adaptation disorders. Interdisciplinary care with mental health departments is necessary, and interventions in emergency roombased suicide attempt management work can be helpful to connect with the community.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 1996

The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship of hopelessness and suicidal lethality of suicide attempters. The subjects were 72 persons who attempted suicide and came to the emergency room of Chungbuk National University Hospital from April 1st, 1995 to March 31st, 1996. The hopelessness of suicide attempter was assessed by Beck Hopelessness Scale(BHS), and the suicidal lethality was assessed by Risk-Rescue score. The Risk-Rescue Scores exhibited no significant differences in demographic characteristics (sex, age, education, religion, marital status, socioeconomic class, occupation) and psychiatric diagnoses. But the Risk-Rescue scores were significantly higher in high BHS group(BHS score ${\geq}$ 9) than in low BHS group(BHS score <9) and positive correlation was observed between the BHS and the Risk-Rescue score(Rs=0.77 : p<0.05). These results suggest that level of hopelessness be a major risk factor for suicidal lethality.