Dataset Information

Changing trends in suicide rates in South Korea from 1993 to 2016: a descriptive study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The South Korean government has recently implemented policies to prevent suicide. However, there were few studies examining the recent changing trends in suicide rates. This study aims to examine the changing trends in suicide rates by time and age group.

Design

A descriptive study using nationwide mortality rates.

Setting

Data on the nationwide cause of death from 1993 to 2016 were obtained from Statistics Korea.

Participants

People living in South Korea.

Interventions

Implementation of national suicide prevention policies (first: year 2004, second: year 2009).

Primary outcome measures

Suicide was defined as 'X60-X84' code according to the ICD-10 code. Age-standardised suicide rates were estimated, and a Joinpoint regression model was applied to describe the trends in suicide rate.

Results

From 2010 to 2016, the suicide rates in South Korea have been decreasing by 5.5% (95% CI -10.3% to -0.5%) annually. In terms of sex, the suicide rate for men had increased by 5.0% (95% CI 3.6% to 6.4%) annually from 1993 to 2010. However, there has been no statistically significant change from 2010 to 2016. For women, the suicide rate had increased by 7.5% (95% CI 6.3% to 8.7%) annually from 1993 to 2009, but since 2009, the suicide rate has been significantly decreasing by 6.1% (95% CI -9.1% to -3.0%) annually until 2016. In terms of the age group, the suicide rates among women of almost all age groups have been decreasing since 2010; however, the suicide rates of men aged between 30 and 49 years showed continuously increasing trends.

Conclusion

Our results showed that there were differences in the changing trends in suicide rate by sex and age groups. Our finding suggests that there was a possible relationship between implementation of second national suicide prevention policies and a decline in suicide rate.

SUBMITTER: Lee SU

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6169778 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Changing trends in suicide rates in South Korea from 1993 to 2016: a descriptive study.

Lee Sang-Uk SU Park Jong-Ik JI Lee Soojung S Oh In-Hwan IH Choi Joong-Myung JM Oh Chang-Mo CM

BMJ open 20180928 9

<h4>Objectives</h4>The South Korean government has recently implemented policies to prevent suicide. However, there were few studies examining the recent changing trends in suicide rates. This study aims to examine the changing trends in suicide rates by time and age group.<h4>Design</h4>A descriptive study using nationwide mortality rates.<h4>Setting</h4>Data on the nationwide cause of death from 1993 to 2016 were obtained from Statistics Korea.<h4>Participants</h4>People living in South Korea. ...[more]

PMID: 30269071

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Project description:BackgroundSuicide mortality remains a global health concern, and community characteristics affect regional variations in suicide. This study investigated spatially clustered patterns of suicide mortality rates in South Korea and evaluated the impact of community factors on suicide.MethodsSuicide mortality rates were estimated by sex, age group, and district, using the 2021 Cause of Death Statistics in South Korea from the MicroData Integrated Service. Community-determinant data for 2021 or the nearest year were collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service. The spatial autocorrelation of suicide by sex and age was examined based on Global Moran's I index. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) was used to discern the influence of community determinants on suicide.ResultsSuicide mortality rates were significantly higher among men (40.64 per 100,000) and adults over the age of 65 years (43.18 per 100,000). The male suicide mortality rates exhibited strong spatial dependence, as indicated by a high global Moran's I with p < 0.001, highlighting the importance of conducting spatial analysis. In the GWR model calibration, a subset of the community's age structure, single-person household composition, access to mental healthcare centers, and unmet medical needs were selected to explain male suicide mortality. These determinants disproportionately increased the risk of male suicide, varying by region. The GWR coefficients of each variable vary widely across 249 districts: aging index (Q1:0.06-Q3:0.46), single-person households (Q1:0.22-Q3:0.35), psychiatric clinics (Q1:-0.20-Q3:-0.01), and unmet medical needs (Q1:0.09-Q3:0.14).ConclusionsCommunity cultural and structural factors exacerbate regional disparities in suicide among men. The influencing factors exhibit differential effects and significance depending on the community, highlighting the need for efficient resource allocation for suicide. A regionally tailored approach is crucial for the effective control of the community's mental health management system.

Project description:BackgroundPrevious studies have investigated the association between suicide and internet search volumes of terms related to suicide or self-harm. However, the results varied by people's age, period, and country, and no study has exclusively investigated suicide or self-harm rates among adolescents.ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the association between the internet search volumes of terms related to suicide/self-harm and the number of suicides among South Korean adolescents. We investigated gender differences in this association and the time lag between the internet search volumes of the terms and the connected suicide deaths.MethodsWe selected 26 search terms related to suicide and self-harm among South Korean adolescents, and the search volumes of these terms for adolescents aged 13-18 years were obtained from the leading internet search engine in South Korea (Naver Datalab). A data set was constructed by combining data from Naver Datalab and the number of suicide deaths of adolescents on a daily basis from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. Spearman rank correlation and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to identify the association between the search volumes of the terms and the suicide deaths during that period. The time lag between suicide death and the increasing trend in the search volumes of the related terms was estimated from the cross-correlation coefficients.ResultsSignificant correlations were observed within the search volumes of the 26 terms related to suicide/self-harm. The internet search volumes of several terms were associated with the number of suicide deaths among South Korean adolescents, and this association differed by gender. The search volume for "dropout" showed a statistically significant correlation with the number of suicides in all adolescent population groups. The correlation between the internet search volume for "dropout" and the connected suicide deaths was the strongest for a time lag of 0 days. In females, self-harm and academic score showed significant associations with suicide deaths, but academic score showed a negative correlation, and the time lags with the strongest correlations were 0 and -11 days, respectively. In the total population, self-harm and suicide method were associated with the number of suicides, and the time lags with the strongest correlations were +7 and 0 days, respectively.ConclusionsThis study identifies a correlation between suicides and internet search volumes related to suicide/self-harm among South Korean adolescents, but the relatively weak correlation (incidence rate ratio 0.990-1.068) should be interpreted with caution.

Dataset Information

Changing trends in suicide rates in South Korea from 1993 to 2016: a descriptive study.

Objectives

Design

Setting

Participants

Interventions

Primary outcome measures

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Changing trends in suicide rates in South Korea from 1993 to 2016: a descriptive study.

Similar Datasets

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