Attempted Suicides in South Korea : A Multi-Center Analysis of Causes, Methods, and Psychiatric Diagnoses of Suicidal Attempters in 2013.
- Author:
Hyeyoung KIM
1
;
Bora KIM
;
Seung Gul KANG
;
Moon Doo KIM
;
Min Hyuk KIM
;
Soo In KIM
;
Jae Min KIM
;
Eunsoo MOON
;
Joon Ho AHN
;
Kyung Uk LEE
;
Sang Hyuk LEE
;
Seung Jae LEE
;
Seong Hoon JEONG
;
Young Chul CHUNG
;
Hee Yeon JUNG
;
Gawon JU
;
Boseok CHA
;
Tae Hyon HA
;
Yong Min AHN
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. aym@snu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Multicenter Study ; Original Article
- Keywords:
Attempted suicide;
Cause of suicide attempt;
Suicide method;
Psychiatric diagnosis
- MeSH:
Aged;
Depressive Disorder;
Diagnosis*;
Emergency Service, Hospital;
Female;
Humans;
Inhalation;
Korea*;
Male;
Mental Disorders;
Methods*;
Poisoning;
Rural Population;
Suicide*;
Suicide, Attempted
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry
2015;22(4):187-194
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
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 jobrelated 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.
