J Korean Med Assoc.  2019 Feb;62(2):79-84. 10.5124/jkma.2019.62.2.79.

How to approach to suicide prevention

• Han C

• KMID: 2438367
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2019.62.2.79

Abstract

In early 2018, the National Action Plan for Preventing Suicide was announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related ministries. The Action Plan presents a realistic goal of reducing suicide mortality to two-thirds of the present level, which would make it 1.4 times higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average (in contrast to current circumstances, in which it is 2.4 times higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average). Several public and private organizations are engaged in various suicide prevention activities. However, it is crucial for a seamless network to be formed, including government organizations, medical institutions, private organizations, and religious organizations. In medical settings, it is imperative that clinicians assess patients' risk of depression or suicide and arrange for a referral service. We need to connect modern social trends with classical mental health treatment modalities by using technologies such as smartphones and the internet. Strategies for research and development and for actual implementation must be established. Suicide prevention requires the active cooperation of not only mental health professionals, but also all physicians and health professionals. Experts in philosophy, sociology, economics, religion, and anthropology must also collaborate to find ways of affirming the importance of human life.

Keyword

Suicide prevention; Approach; Loneliness

MeSH Terms

Anthropology
Depression
Health Occupations
Humans
Internet
Loneliness
Mental Health
Mortality
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
Philosophy
Referral and Consultation
Smartphone
Sociology
Suicide*

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Basic paradigm of National Action Plan for suicide prevention.

• 

  Figure 2 Action diagram for suicide prevention.

Reference

1. Department of Public Health and Welfare. Korea Suicide Prevention Center. 2017 Suicide prevention white paper. Seoul: Korea Suicide Prevention Center;2018.

2. National Health Insurance Service. Health Insurance Policy Institute. Analysis of socio-economic costs of major diseases for setting priorities for health insurance policy. Seoul: National Health Insurance Service;2014.

3. Rosenberg L. Suicide prevention is everyone’s business. J Behav Health Serv Res. 2018; 45:530–532.

4. Takeshima T, Yamauchi T, Inagaki M, Kodaka M, Matsumoto T, Kawano K, Katsumata Y, Fujimori M, Hisanaga A, Taka-hashi Y. Suicide prevention strategies in Japan: a 15-year review (1998-2013). J Public Health Policy. 2015; 36:52–66.

5. Goldney RD. Finland’s contribution to suicide prevention. Crisis. 2004; 25:86–87.

6. Department of Public Health and Welfare. Nation action plan for suicide prevention. Seoul: Department of Public Health and Welfare;2018.

7. Zalsman G, Hawton K, Wasserman D, van Heeringen K, Arensman E, Sarchiapone M, Carli V, Hoschl C, Barzilay R, Balazs J, Purebl G, Kahn JP, Sáiz PA, Lipsicas CB, Bobes J, Cozman D, Hegerl U, Zohar J. Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016; 3:646–659.

8. Tanskanen J, Anttila T. A prospective study of social isolation, loneliness, and mortality in Finland. Am J Public Health. 2016; 106:2042–2048.

9. Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015; 10:227–237.

10. Journalists Association of Korea. Suicide report recommen-dation 3.0 [Internet]. Seoul: Journalists Association of Korea;2018. cited 2018 Dec 7. Available from: http://www.journalist.or.kr/news/section4.html?p_num=12.

11. Shin C, Kim Y, Park S, Yoon S, Ko YH, Kim YK, Kim SH, Jeon SW, Han C. Prevalence and associated factors of depression in general population of Korea: results from the Korea national health and nutrition examination survey, 2014. J Korean Med Sci. 2017; 32:1861–1869.

12. Dazzi T, Gribble R, Wessely S, Fear NT. Does asking about suicide and related behaviours induce suicidal ideation? What is the evidence? Psychol Med. 2014; 44:3361–3363.

13. Torous J, Larsen ME, Depp C, Cosco TD, Barnett I, Nock MK, Firth J. Smartphones, sensors, and machine learning to advance real-time prediction and interventions for suicide prevention: a review of current progress and next steps. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2018; 20:51.