Background: Suicide among adolescents is a critical global health problem. Identifying risk factors for suicide in adolescents is crucial because it is one of the most severe mental health issues and can result in loss of life. Risk factors serve as indicators that have the potential to bring life to an end. However, people around adolescents often display indifference and even tend to overlook the suicide risk factors experienced by them. Objective: This study aimed to explore the risk factors for suicide in adolescents in Indonesia. Methods: This study used qualitative descriptive research design conducted at State Vocational High Schools (SMKN) and Puskesmas. Data collection was done through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) of 10 students, and in-depth interviews of eight participants (two parents of adolescents who attempted suicide, two guidance counseling teachers, two adolescents who attempted suicide, and two mental nurses) The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The risk factors for suicide experienced by adolescents are biological, psychological, and social factors. These risk factors for suicide are stressors that contribute to adolescents engaging in suicidal behavior. Identifying the risk factors experienced by adolescents is crucial for suicide prevention. Conclusion The risk factors that lead to suicide in adolescents encompass biological, psychological, and social factors. A thorough understanding of suicide among parents, teachers, and peers can significantly assist in implementing suitable prevention measures and interventions for adolescent suicide.
Adolescent ; Risk Factors ; Biological Factors ; Psychology ; Social Factors ; Suicide

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differences in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors between only-child and non-only-child adolescents with mood disorders. METHODS: A three-stage sampling method was used to perform a cross-sectional survey of 529 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, who had mood disorders and NSSI behaviors. These adolescents were sampled from the outpatient service of 20 mental hospitals in 9 provinces of China from August to November 2020. A self-made questionnaire was used to collect general demographic data. The Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Stress Mindset Measure-General, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scales, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used to collect the information on self-injury behaviors and psychological factors in these adolescents. RESULTS: A total of 529 adolescents with mood disorders and NSSI behaviors were surveyed, among whom 375 were only-child adolescents and 154 were non-only-child adolescents. Compared with the non-only-child group, the only-child group had a significantly higher total score of Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (P<0.05) .The type and frequency of self-injury in the only-child group were significantly higher than those in the non-only-child group (P<0.05). Psychological analysis showed that compared with the non-only-child group, the only-child group had a significantly lower score of self-esteem (P<0.05) and significantly higher scores of psychological distress and depressive symptoms (P<0.05). The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the score of suicidal ideation was positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI behaviors in both only-child and non-only-child adolescents with mood disorders (P<0.05); in the only-child adolescents, the level of self-esteem was negatively correlated with the frequency of NSSI behaviors (P<0.05), and the score of stress perception was positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI behaviors (P<0.05); in the non-only-child adolescents, the score of anxious emotion was positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI behaviors (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Among the adolescents with mood disorders and NSSI behaviors, the only-child adolescents tend to have a higher frequency of self-injury and poorer mental health, and therefore, the only-child adolescents with mood disorders and NSSI behaviors need more attention.
Adolescent ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Risk Factors ; Self Mutilation ; Self-Injurious Behavior/psychology* ; Suicide, Attempted/psychology*

BACKGROUND: Individual attitudes toward suicide are known to markedly influence suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the factors associated with attitudes toward suicide.METHODS: This study was conducted on 3,213 adult men and women living in a province of Korea. After excluding 281 participants because of unreliable responses, the remaining 2,932 were included in the data analysis. Demographic factors were investigated, and psychological factors were evaluated. Attitudes toward suicide were evaluated using the Attitudes Towards Suicide-20, physical symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), self-compassion was evaluated using the Korean Self-Compassion Scale, and stress was evaluated using the Global Assessment of Recent Stress (GARS) scale. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine the psychological characteristics of attitudes toward suicide.RESULTS: Differences in various factors based on demographic characteristics were observed regarding attitudes toward suicide. Significant differences in attitudes toward suicide were observed based on severity of suicide, acceptability (F=20.332, p<0.001), prevention of suicide (F=7.700, p<0.001), and universality (F=13.741, p<0.001). The duration of suicidal ideation, self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, and over-identification showed differences, as did the GARS and PHQ-15 scores.CONCLUSION: This study explored the demographic and psychological factors affecting attitudes toward suicide. Adequate mediation of these factors is needed to prevent suicidal ideation and behavior.
Adult ; Demography ; Empathy ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Negotiating ; Psychology ; Statistics as Topic ; Stress, Psychological ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide

BACKGROUND: This study examined how mental health status influenced suicidal ideation among community-dwelling elderly at senior citizen centers in Korea.METHODS: Data were obtained from a survey on elderly mental health in Jeollanam-do (a southwest province in Korea) conducted by the Jeollanam-do Provincial Mental Health and Welfare Center. In total, 4,113 people were recruited from all 22 cities in Jeollanam-do. We evaluated sociodemographic factors and mental health status using self-reported questionnaires, namely, the Suicidal Ideation Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form Korean Version, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Korean version of the General Health Questionale-12, and Satisfaction with Life Scale, to assess psychosocial factors affecting suicidal ideation. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine the factors associated with suicidal ideation.RESULTS: Among the 4,113 subjects, 325 (7.9%) reported recent suicidal ideation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that depression (p<0.001), low-level social support and life satisfaction (p=0.006), poor general mental health (p<0.001), physical disease (p=0.009), and poor self-perceived health status (p=0.039) were significantlyassociated with suicidal ideation.CONCLUSION: The presence of physical disease, poor self-perceived health status, depression, and poor general mental health conditions increase the risk of suicide ideation among the elderly. Social support and life satisfaction affected their suicidal ideation independently of depression.
Aged ; Depression ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Psychology ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide

The purpose of this research is to describe how Hansen's disease patients experienced the modern system of control of Hansen's disease introduced by Japan, and the inimical attitude of society against them in colonial Korea. The study also seeks to reveal the development of the system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients from their home and community to larger society and leprosarium in this era. Sorokdo Charity hospital (SCH), a hospital for Hansen's disease patients, was built in 1916, and vagrant Hansen's disease patients began to be isolated in this hospital beginning in 1917 by the Japanese Government-General of Korea (JGGK). Once the police detained and sent vagrant Hansen's disease patients to SCH, stigma and discrimination against them strengthened in Korean society. Because of strong stigma and discrimination in Korean society, Hansen's disease patients suffered from daily threats of death. First, their family members were not only afraid of the contagiousness of Hansen's disease but also the stigma and discrimination against themselves by community members. If a family had a Hansen's disease patient, the rest of community members would discriminate against the entire family. Furthermore, because Hansen's disease patients were excluded from any economic livelihood such as getting a job, the existence of the patients was a big burden for their families. Therefore, many patients left their homes and began their vagrancy. The patients who could not leave their homes committed suicide or were killed by their family members. The victims of such deaths were usually women, who were at the lower position in the family hierarchy. In the strong Confucian society in Korea, more female patients were killed by themselves than male patients. Moreover, all of patients victims in the murder were women. This shows that the stigma and discrimination against Hansen's disease patients within their families were stronger against women than men. Strong stigma and discrimination made the patients rely on superstition such as cannibalism. Patients believed that there were not any effective medicine. There were a few reports of patients who were cured, and many were treated with chaulmoogra oil in the modern Hansen's disease hospitals. Eating human flesh was known as a folk remedy for Hansen's disease. As such, patients began to kill healthy people, usually children, to eat their flesh. Increased stigma led to increased victims. Hansen's disease patients who left their homes faced many threats during their vagrancy. For survival, they established their own organizations in the late 1920's. The patients who were rejected to be hospitalized in the Western Hansen's disease hospital at Busan, Daegu, and Yeosu organized self-help organizations. The purpose of these organizations was first to secure the medicine supply of chaulmoogra oil. However, as stigma and discrimination strengthened, these organizations formed by Hansen's disease patients demanded the Japanese Government-General of Korea to send and segregate them on Sorok island. They did not know the situation of the inside of this island because news media described it as a haven for patients, and very few patients were discharged from this island to tell the truth. On this island, several hundreds of patients were killed by compulsory heavy labor, starvation, and violence. They were not treated as patients, but as something to be eliminated. Under strong suppression on this island, the patients resisted first by escaping this island. However, in 1937, some patients tried to kill a Korean staff but failed. Attempted murderers were all put in the jail, also located on this island. In 1941, a patient murdered another patient who had harassed other patients, and in 1942, Chunsang Lee, a patient, killed the director of Sorok island. These instances show that there was a system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients in colonial Korea.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Busan ; Cannibalism ; Charities ; Child ; Daegu ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Eating ; Female ; Homicide ; Humans ; Japan ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Leprosy ; Male ; Medicine, Traditional ; Police ; Starvation ; Suicide ; Superstitions ; United Nations ; Violence

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The role of psychosocial factors on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adolescents is incompletely understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the psychosocial factors and the risk of developing IBS in college freshmen. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a randomly selected freshmen population in Wuhan China (n = 2449). Questionnaire evaluated demographics and psychosocial risks. The population was divided into 3 groups: non-discomfort, chronic abdominal discomfort and IBS. The association between the development of IBS and psychosocial factors was analyzed by ordinal and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2053 (83.8%) completed this survey (mean age, 18.2 ± 0.9 years; female, 35.6%). Among them, 82 (4.0%) fulfilled the Rome III criteria for IBS. Female (odds ratio [OR], 3.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.47–4.45), experience of abuse (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.10–5.56), and suicidal intention (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.15–4.17) were more likely to have IBS. Compared with chronic abdominal discomfort, however, depression (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 1.36–22.71) was the only dependent risk factor for IBS. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of IBS in college freshmen is 4.0%, and to the freshmen, psychosocial factors such as experience of abuse, depression, and suicidal intention were associated with high risk of developing IBS.
Adolescent ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Child Abuse ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Intention ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence ; Psychology ; Risk Factors ; Suicide

BackgroundPatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) usually have high risk of suicidality. Few studies have investigated the effects of stressful life events (SLEs) on the risk of suicide in Chinese patients who have developed MDD. This study aimed to investigate the impact of SLEs on suicidal risk in Chinese patients with MDD.

MethodsIn total, 1029 patients with MDD were included from nine psychiatric hospitals to evaluate the impact of SLEs on suicidal risk. Patients fulfilling the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) criteria for MDD were included in the study. Patients were excluded if they had lifetime or current diagnoses of psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, and alcohol or substance dependence. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17). The suicidal risk of MDD patients was determined by the suicide risk module of MINI. SLEs were assessed by the Life Events Scale.

ResultsNo gender difference was found for suicidal risk in MDD patients. Patients with suicidal risk had younger ages, lower education levels, more drinking behavior, and lower marriage rate, and fewer people had child and more severe depressive symptoms than nonsuicidal risk group. High-level perceived stressfulness (HPS) and number of SLEs that patients were exposed to were significantly greater in patients with suicidal risk than patients without. In multivariate logistic analysis, HPS of SLEs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-2.05, P = 0.003) and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05-1.11, P < 0.001) were associated with suicidal risk even after adjustment of gender, age, marriage, drinking behavior, and childless.

ConclusionsHPS of SLEs is associated with suicide risk in Chinese patients with MDD. Further suicide prevention programs targeting this risk factor are needed.

Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02023567; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02023567?term=NCT02023567&rank=1.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bipolar Disorder ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Risk Factors ; Suicide ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was designed to analyze recent trends in adolescent suicide intervention research in Korea and to suggest future research directions in this area. METHODS: Studies Thirty-four studies selected from http://www.riss4u.net over the for last 20 years were analyzed by field and design of the study, study participants, and the outcome variables used in intervention studies. RESULTS: Nineteen (55.9%) of the 34 studies were conducted in the fields of welfare (9), psychology (5) and nursing science (5). Ordinary adolescents were the most frequently studied participants. A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used in twenty one (61.7%) of the 34 studies. The most frequently measured outcome variables were depression, suicidal ideation and self-esteem. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that research on adolescent suicide intervention programs is expanding with a focus on ordinary adolescents as and subjects. In order to prevent suicide, research on family, teachers, and friends, who all are important parts of a teenager's support system, is needed. It is also necessary to develop a post-management intervention program to prevent recurrence in high-risk teenagers who have attempted suicide.
Adolescent* ; Depression ; Friends ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing ; Psychology ; Recurrence ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to develop the Korean Psychological Autopsy Checklist for Adolescent (K-PAC-A) and conduct a pilot study. METHODS: A number of steps were undertaken in the development of the K-PAC-A including literature reviews, consultations, and a pilot study. The Korean psychology autopsy checklist 2.0 (K-PAC 2.0) was carefully reviewed to adopt some domains and questions which can be applied to adolescents. RESULTS: In addition to the adoption of some domains and questions from the K-PAC 2.0, some items were developed by considering the risk factors shown in the previous studies and cultural factors including family-based and school-based problems. A pilot study was conducted in collaboration with Eulji hospital, and Suicide and School Mental Health Institute of Hallym University and 5 cases of adolescent suicide victims were recruited. A final version of the K-PAC-A consists of three domains; a bereaved family (informants), a decedent, and psychological assessments. CONCLUSION: An adolescent psychological autopsy study using the K-PAC-A is expected to provide useful evidence for suicide prevention policies and intervention plans for Korean youths in the future.
Adolescent* ; Autopsy* ; Checklist* ; Child ; Cooperative Behavior ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Pilot Projects ; Psychology ; Referral and Consultation ; Risk Factors ; Suicide

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial factors influencing suicidal ideation of community dwelling elderly, using the senior community center in Jeonnam Province.METHODS: A total of 2,202 subjects (369 males, 1,833 females) were recruited. We evaluated sociodemographic factors, using a self-reporting questionnaire. Subjects completed the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form Korean Version (SGDS), Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Korean version of the General Health Questionale-12 (GHQ-12) and Satisfaction with Life scale (SWLS), to assess psychosocial factors affecting suicidal ideation.RESULTS: Among 2,202 subjects, 179 (8.1%) reported recent suicidal ideation. Self-perceptive health status (p < 0.001) and physical disease (p=0.002) revealed differences between two groups. The scores of four scales in the suicidal group were significantly different from the control group: SGDS (p < 0.001) and GHQ-12 (p < 0.001) were higher, while MSPSS (p < 0.001) and SWLS (p < 0.001) were lower, in the suicidal ideation group than the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that physical disease (OR 2.575, 95%CI 1.022–6.492), SGDS (OR 1.181, 95%CI 1.120–1.246) and GHQ-12 (OR 1.192, 95%CI 1.108–1.283), were significantly associated with suicidal ideation.CONCLUSION: Findings support that physical disease, depression, and general mental health may correlate to suicidal ideation in the elderly.
Aged ; Depression ; Humans ; Independent Living ; Jeollanam-do ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Health ; Psychology ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide ; Weights and Measures