• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.200-208
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• 2008

Purpose: The purposes of the study were to understand the levels of older adults' perceived stresses in terms of family relationship, physical health, financial difficulty, death of family members, and household environment, and to identify the influences of the stresses on their suicidal ideation. Methods: The subjects were 302 older adults residing in Daegu, Korea. The data were collected by questionnaires between March and April 2007. Results: Older adults perceived the highest level of stress from the death of family members and had high levels of stresses from physical health, family relationships, financial difficulty, and household environment in order. The variables influencing suicidal ideation were stresses from family relationships, physical health, and financial difficulty. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is recommended that nurses provide in-depth screening of suicide risk for older adults who visit general health care settings through the identification of the levels of stresses in terms of family relationships, physical health, and financial difficulty. It is further suggested to provide collaborative interventions between primary health care providers and psychiatric professionals for suicide prevention and treatment in older adults.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.304-315
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• 2012

Today, suicide by self-poisoning of prescribed or non-prescribed drugs on purpose has been increasing and is a major cause of mortality. It is very important to treat promptly and properly for saving the lives from those suicides. There is neither an organization such as poison control center nor measurement in S. Korea, though. The object of this study was to evaluate information of frequently used substances for suicide attempt in S. Korea. Our results also can provide healthcare provider including pharmacists and doctors, etc and contribute to increasing health and welfare for Korean. From June $1^{st}$ 2006 to April $30^{th}$ 2012, we retrospectively studied patients visiting emergency room due to suicide attempt. We collected information of underlying disease, history of past medical condition and suicide attempt, ingredient and getting route of ingesting substances, emergency treatment, and outcome by reviewing electronic medical record. We also evaluated actual treatment of self-poisoning and made guide information about antidote medication for S. Korean healthcare provider. Among total 242 cases of suicidal attempts, cases ingesting substances including prescription, non-prescription drugs and agricultural chemicals were 86.4%. The most frequently used drugs for suicide attempt were sedatives-hypnotics (53.6%), followed by analgesics (16.7%) and antidepressants (12.4%). Analgesics including acetaminophen and aspirin were most in teenagers but sedatives-hypnotics including benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepine (zolpidem) and antihistamine were most in other ages including elderly people. Most frequently used antidote was activated charcoal (62.7%) and specific antidotes for some substances (acetaminophen, aspirin, agricultural chemicals) were also treated properly, accompanying with medication for supportive care. In conclusion, the most used substances for suicide attempt were sedatives-hypnotics and treatments for self-poisoning in emergency room were appropriate based on existing references. Therefore, information of frequently used substances and antidote reflecting these results will be useful for South Korean healthcare provider.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.511-531
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• 2014

This study explores supportive and conflictual network structures of elderly single and couple households and analyzes the effects of supportive and conflictual networks on suicidal thoughts by gender and family type. The analysis considered a sample of 522 individuals over the age of 60 who did not live with their adult children. The statistical methods used to analyze data were descriptive statistics, a t-test, a chi-square test and a regression analysis using SPSS WIN 20.0. The results are as follows. First, men and elderly single households had support networks that were smaller than those of women and elderly couple households. The conflictual network of elderly couples households was larger than that of elderly single households. In addition, the larger the network, the more the conflictual was. Second, elderly single households thought about suicide more often than elderly couple households. Third, economic status, the number of adult children, the size of conflictual network and subjective health had considerable influence on suicidal thoughts of elderly single and couple households. The size of the conflictual network had a greater effect on suicidal thoughts of elderly individuals than that of the supportive network. These results have important policy implications for elderly single and couple households.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.41
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• pp.387-408
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• 2014

South Korea already became an aging society, and is now in the process of becoming an aged society. With increasing elderly population, elderly safety issues such as traffic accidents and elderly suicides are becoming important problems. Elderly victimization are increasing, and elderly safety accident is also becoming an imporotant social problem. The police is doing various activities for elderly safety. The police is conducting programs for the elderly, such as a prevention program for fraud against elderly, and safety checks and traffic safety education for preventing elderly traffic accidents. Also, there's a program of providing regular visits for a lone elderly, expansion of CCTV network and fingerprint registration to prevent elderlies with Alzheimer's disease going missing. However, these programs are not done on a national scale, but rather limited to local police stations. The purpose of this study is to seek police roles for enhancing elderly safety, due to lack of police activity in this area. Recommendation for police roles in enhancing elderly safety is to first conduct routine crackdowns on fraud against elderly and also conduct education programs for preventing fraud. Also, crimes such as elderly abuse is lead by elderly protection agencies, but considering elderly abuse is a crime, the police should take a leading role. Also, to prevent elderly suicide, meticulous management of elderlies with high suicide risk is necessary, and elderly protection areas should be designated to prevent traffic accidents. Also, elderlies should be induced to turn in their driver's license. To conduct these matters of elderly safety, an organization exclusively charged with elderly safety is necessary. Elderly safety is a broad concept, and since police alone cannot handle the task of ensuring elderly safety, the police should take on a leading role in cooperative efforts with various institutions of the government, non-profit organizations and the community to establish a social saftey net for elderly safety.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.551-563
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to investigate the incidence and associated factors of suicidal ideation among the elderly according to residence area. Methods: This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V-2). A representative sample of 1,464 men and women aged 65 and over was selected. Rao-scott $X^2$-test, multiple logistic regression models based on sampling scheme of the data were used. Results: Of the 1,464 respondents, 22.4% had experienced suicidal ideation during the past year. Higher incidence of suicidal ideation was observed in rural seniors (23.7%) than in urban seniors (21.1%). The incidence of suicidal ideation showed correlation with age, education level, depression, stress, lying in a sick bed, and current smoking status among elderly living in urban areas. However, among elderly living in rural areas, the incidence of suicidal ideation showed correlation with household income, depression, stress, and daily activity. Conclusion: Based on the results, nurses should manage effective and individualized nursing interventions for elders in planning suicide prevention programs with consideration for residence areas, because there were differences in the factors affecting suicidal ideation among elders according to residence area.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.25-35
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• 2021

The purpose of study is to study the influence of elderly's family harmony reflects on suicidal tendency among the mental health. The study was a survey of 323 elderly people aged 65 years or older in the elderly welfare center located in S city. The variables of this study consisted of the independent variable emotional intelligence, the dependent variable suicide tendency and the mediating effect family harmony. As a result of the study. In the mediating effect of family harmony on the influence of emotional intelligence on suicidal thoughts, it was found that emotional intelligence had a positive (+) effect on family harmony (t=9.389, p<0.001), and emotional intelligence was related to suicidal thought It was found to have a negative (-) effect (t=-7.358, p<0.001). The mediating effect, family harmony, had negative (-) influence on suicidal thoughts (t=-3.956, p<0.001), and emotional intelligence also showed that suicidal thoughts had negative (-) influence (t=-4.828, p<0.001). In Conclusions, it was found that family harmony had a partial mediating effect on the influence of emotional intelligence on suicidal thoughts. Emotional intelligence, which can accept one's own emotions and feel the emotions of others in the position of others, is an important variable for family harmony.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.187-194
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• 2015

Objectives To examine direct causes of attempted suicides, methods adopted to commit suicide, and psychiatric diagnoses among suicide attempters in South Korea. Methods A total of 1359 suicide attempters who had visited emergency department of 17 medical centers due to suicide attempt from May 2013 to Nov 2013 were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results Psychiatric symptoms were the most common cause of suicide attempts (62.2%), followed by interpersonal relationships (24.4%). Women attempted suicide more often for interpersonal reasons, whereas men were more likely to do so for financial and job-related reasons. Half of participants (55.8%) attempted suicide by drug intoxication, which was more prevalent among females and those who had previous history of psychiatric disease or previous suicide attempt. Men were more likely to use more lethal methods such as pesticide poisoning and gas inhalation than women. Pesticide poisoning was also prevalent among the elderly group and the rural population. Near ninety-five percent (94.5%) of participants received a psychiatric diagnosis : the most frequent diagnosis was depressive disorder. Conclusions This is the first nationwide study of cases of attempted suicide. When stratified by age groups, gender, urbanicity, living alone or not, presence of physical illness, previous psychiatric history, and previous suicide attempt, there were significant differences with respect to causes, methods of attempted suicides and psychiatric diagnoses of suicide attempters.

• 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.22 no.5
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• pp.60-70
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to promote an understanding of suicidal ideation and identify the factors that influence suicide ideation according to the life cycle of Korean adults. This study was a secondary analysis study using the Korea Health Panel 2016 data. Among adults over 19 years of age, 14,538 people with no missing values in suicidal ideation and influencing factors were classified into young adults (19-39 years old), middle-aged adults (40-64 years old), and the elderly (65 years or over). The data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. The results showed that 2.9% (108 people) of young adults, 3.2% (181 people) of middle-aged adults, and 3.7% (80 people) of the elderly had suicide ideation over the past year. Factors influencing suicidal ideation by life cycle were anxiety, depression, drug use and quality of life for young adults, subjective health status, stress, anxiety, depression, drug use and quality of life for middle-aged adults. The factors affecting the elderly were body mass index, stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Therefore, factors influencing suicidal ideation should be considered as a major factor for screening risk groups according to the life cycle, and differentiated intervention programs should be developed and provided to prevent and manage suicide in risk groups.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.42-57
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• 2020

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is indicated for various mental disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder) and the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in elderly patients. Furthermore, ECT is a useful first-line treatment in emergency and crisis situations such as suicide risk, violent behavior, catatonia, and food refusal, which are more frequent in elderly patients. ECT is also effective in the treatment of the motor symptoms of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Due to the high risk of various physical diseases, the comorbid physical conditions of elderly patients should be individually controlled to optimize ECT treatment. Compared to young adults, in elderly patients the seizure threshold is higher, the seizure duration is shorter, and the anesthetic dose is lower. On the contrary, the response rate in the elderly is both faster and higher. Considering potential cognitive decline and the prevention of further deterioration of cognitive function in elderly patients, in the absence of significant comorbidities, twice weekly sessions and right unilateral electrode placement with a lower seizure threshold and less cognitive effect are preferred to bilateral electrode placement, which has a high risk of adverse cognitive effects. After an acute course of ECT, continuation and maintenance of ECT, combined with prescription of therapeutic drugs, may prevent possible relapse or recurrence of mental disorders. In conclusion, ECT can be used to treat mental disorders in elderly adults, with safety and effectiveness comparable to that in young adults.