• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.31-54
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• 2011

The main purposes of this study are to describe regional differentials of the rate and to explore factors impacting on the regional differentials among the elderly's suicide rate in the Republic of Korea. Suicide data among 16 provinces from 2000 to 2008 were used for the statistical analyses. Six independent variables, such as crude divorce rate, GRDP per capita, welfare budget proportion, number of leisure facilities, number of medical and housing welfare facilities, and number of sports facilities are introduced for the multiple regression analyses. Elderly suicide rate, female elderly's suicide rate, and male elderly's suicide rate are used for the dependent variables. The findings of this study are as follows: Elderly's suicide rate has been increased constantly since 2000 and regional differentials of the elderly's suicide have been existed over time. According to the multiple regressions analyses, number of sports facilities(${\beta}$=-521), welfare budget proportion, and number of leisure facilities(${\beta}$=-219) have shown statistically significant negative relationships with the elderly's suicide rate. On the other hand, number of medical facilities(${\beta}$=0.550), crude divorce rate(${\beta}$=0336) have shown statistically significant positive relationships with the elderly's suicide rate in the Republic of Korea. Finally, some policy implications for alleviating the elderly's suicide rate are introduced and discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.351-364
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• 2010

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between abuse and suicide risk focused on the Korean elderly over 65 years old living with their families. The data for the study was collected from 1,193 people in Incheon metropolitan city, Kyunggi and Chungnam province. Among them, 711 elderly adults who experienced abuse within their families, were analysed for the study. The results were as follows: First, the group who had experienced abuse was revealed at 29.8%, and the group who had experienced suicide was revealed at 23.1%. Second, the victims of abuse at older ages affects the risk of suicide. Moreover, considering the elderly population under the control of influencing variables such as socioeconomic traits, ADL and depression, the risk of suicide for the group of being abused was higher than the group that was never abused. Third, four groups of elderly(groups without both abuse and suicide risks, the group with only abuse victims, the group with only suicide risks, and the group with both abuse and suicide risk) were divided based on the victims of abuse and the risk of suicide. The group without abuse and suicide risk was positive in subjective economic status, ADL, number of diseases and depression. On the contrary, the group with both abuse and suicide risk was negative in the above indices. The study indicated that there were some similar traits between abuse risk groups and suicide risk groups, but the group with suicide risk was lower than the group with abuse risk in ADL and depression.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning and essence of suicide for elderly people who had previously attempted suicide as an older person. Methods: Giorgi's descriptive phenomenology was used for analysis. The researchers carried out in-depth interviews, recordings and memos individually with four elders. The elders were individuals who had attempted suicide sometime in the past 5 yr. They were interviewed from 5 to 10 times using open-ended questions and a semi-structural format. Demographic data were also collected. Results: The meaning of suicide before a suicide attempt in older people had four core components: conflict with family, powerlessness and despair in their life with a drop in self-esteem, using internal and external resources to resolve their troubles and awareness of imminent crisis. Conclusion: These results of this study will increase understanding of suicide in older people by defining their subjective experience of suicide attempts and applying grounded data in the development of programs that provide concrete intervention strategies to prevent suicide in elderly people.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-19
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• 2006

There are less studies on the elderly suicide even though it's steep increase. The purpose of the present study was to investigate factors that influence on the elderly suicide and to categorize them. For these purpose, A total of 23 cases were analyzed through qualitative contents analysis. Specifically, on the basis of the stress-vulnerability model, we scrutinized vulnerability factors(classified personal, family-environment factors) and precipitating events(classified interpersonal events) influencing on the elderly suicide. Personal factor was to be classified into personal mental health, physical health and problematic behavior. Family-environment factor was divided family relationship problem and economic problem. Interpersonal events belonging to the precipitating events was to be classified into interpersonal loss and interpersonal conflict. As the results of this study, elderly suicide classified into 3 types, that is, 'risk type suicide', 'event-response type suicide', 'complex type'. And then we discussed the characteristics of the suicidal types and suggestions for reduction of elderly suicide.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.309-317
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• 2011

Research on elderly suicide has increased since 2000. It indicates that elderly suicide is receiving a great attention as a part of elderly problems, and policy efforts are needed. However, most of existing research on elderly suicide focused on factors of elderly suicide. Therefore discussion about suicidal prevention measures is staying on general and suggestive level. As a result, this study is trying to seek effective prevention strategies of elderly suicide through systematic analysis of suicidal factors and sporadic policy proposals presented in existing research. To achieve this, the relevant research papers among academic journals registered with Korea Research Foundation are analyzed. According to the results, while the ordinary elderly tended to require macro level of intervention, the potential-risky elderly were inclined to need all of micro and moderate level of prevention efforts. Above all, secondary prevention must be more emphasized in moderate level. In the future direction of research, based on prevention strategies as stated above, it is recommended to entail discussion of what kind of a specific program and policy should be invented and how it should be operated.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the personal factors affecting the ideation of suicide to identify the risk factors of suicide and to provide basic data for suicide prevention. The study subjects were 260 elderly people aged 65 or older who use the elderly general welfare center, the elderly classroom, and the senior club living in Jecheon City. The results of this study showed that personal factors affecting the idea of suicide in the elderly were significant in psychological factors such as stress, depression and loneliness. This means that the higher the stress, depression, and loneliness, the higher the elderly's suicide thought. In addition, the most influential factors in the idea of suicide of the elderly were stress, followed by loneliness and depression. Based on these findings, first, psychological treatment and prevention programs are needed to prevent suicide in the elderly. Second, it is necessary to expand the mental health support system, education and service for the elderly. Third, it is necessary to develop and disseminate stress coping, easing and arbitration programs.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.427-435
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• 2016

Any comparative study has not been done between Korea and a certain country about the social economic factors of elderly suicide rates, even though there has been comparative studies among several nations. Therefore, this study is going to reveal how the macro-social economic factors are related to elderly suicide rates based on Korea and the United States, which show great gap of elderly suicide rate and have completely different aspect of increasing and decreasing rate of elderly suicide, as members of OECD. For this, trend analysis has been done between elderly suicide rates of both Korea and the United States for the past twenty years(1990-2009) and social economic factors, and correlation analysis also has been done at the same time. After all, this study is going to suggest policy implications for the prevention of elderly suicide in our society based on the results of the analysis.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.164-174
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the rural elderly suicide literacy level upon suicide stigma and coping advice with suicidal crises (recommending professional help for a suicidal person). In particular, this study investigates the role of cultural norms (perceived social expectations for the experience of negative emotions) on suicide stigma and coping ability. Methods: A survey was conducted addressing elderly people (N=119) living in rural areas. Regression analysis using SPSS PROCESS macro was used to examine the relationships among the key variables. Results: Participants with higher suicide literacy showed lower suicide stigma, and this perception had a significant effect on enhancing their coping advice with suicidal crises. Also, perceived social expectations significantly influenced the relationship between suicide stigma and coping advice. With lower levels of social expectations, the mediating effect of suicide stigma on the relationship between suicide literacy and recommending professional help did not exist whereas the indirect effect was significant when it pertained to high levels of social expectations. Conclusion: This result signifies that suicide stigma serves as a barrier deterring Koreans from reaching out for professional help regarding their mental health. Moreover, these findings underscore the importance of cultural psychological factors such as perceived social expectations in terms of developing suicide prevention strategies.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.865-885
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• 2008

This study addresses a number of issues related to suicide among older persons in Korea. The study investigates various aspects of elderly's suicide ideation, and how this quality of life and self-esteem impacts on their suicide ideation through depression. For the purpose of the study, the survey was conducted and 8,135 elderly 65 years old and over who reside in Gyeonggi-do participated. The result of the study indicated that quality of life, self-esteem and depression of the elderly showed statistically significant suicide ideation of the elderly. Participants were divided into two groups according to their physical health status. That is, to find out how quality of life and self-esteem of the elderly impact on the suicide ideation directly and indirectly through depression among elderly people with physical disease and no disease. The results showed that depression of the elderly people with physical disease was the most highly significant factors in explaining the elderly's suicidal ideation directly a comparison of elderly people with no physical disease. Therefore, depression is a major mental health problem associated with suicide. Finally, these findings of the study can improve the elderly people's quality of life and reduce suicide ideation.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-3
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• 2019

Suicide is a major problem in Korean health care and a serious social problem. In Korea, 12,463 people (24.3 per 100,000) lost their lives due to suicide in 2017. Although the government has established three National Comprehensive Plan of Suicide Prevention (2004, 2009, 2016), and National Action Plan of Suicide Prevention (2018), the suicide rate is still high. The suicide rate of the elderly is especially high. This is due to the economic vulnerability of the elderly in Korea. Therefore, in order to prevent suicide in Korea, mental health care approach and social welfare approach should be integrated. The intervention of preventing suicide of suicide attempters should include social welfare services as well as mental health program and should be based on community. There are many health problems, including prevention of suicide, which can not be solved only by the efforts of health care. Many health problems are social problems and the integrated approach is needed to solve them. In order to solve many health care problems and improve health, integrated approach of health, social science, and humanities is needed.