Korean J Biol Psychiatry.
2015 Nov;22(4):187-194. 10.0000/kjbp.2015.22.4.187.
Attempted Suicides in South Korea : A Multi-Center Analysis of Causes, Methods, and Psychiatric Diagnoses of Suicidal Attempters in 2013
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. aym@snu.ac.kr
- 2Department of Psychiatry, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
- 3Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea.
- 4Department of Psychiatry, Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
- 5Department of Psychiatry, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
- 7Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
- 8Department of Psychiatry, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea.
- 9Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Korea.
- 10Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
- 11Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
- 12Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
- 13Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
- 14Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
- 15Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea.
- 16Department of Psychiatry, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
- 17Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
- 18Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
- 19Korean Association for Suicide Prevention, Seoul, Korea.
- KMID: 2251065
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.0000/kjbp.2015.22.4.187
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.
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