Attitude toward Suicide and Personal Experiences of Suicide among Doctors and Health Care Workers in Korea

Joong-Il Kwon; Yu Jin Lee; Su Jin Kwon; Jong-Woo Paik; Jun Hee Jeon; Seung-Gul Kang; Seung-Min Bae; Jong-Hoon Kim; In Hee Cho; Seong-Jin Cho

doi:10.4306/jknpa.2013.52.4.231

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Kwon, Lee, Kwon, Paik, Jeon, Kang, Bae, Kim, Cho, and Cho: Attitude toward Suicide and Personal Experiences of Suicide among Doctors and Health Care Workers in Korea

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2013; 52(4): 231-242.

Published online: 31 July 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2013.52.4.231

Attitude toward Suicide and Personal Experiences of Suicide among Doctors and Health Care Workers in Korea

Joong-Il Kwon, MD¹, Yu Jin Lee, MD, PhD^1,², Su Jin Kwon, BA², Jong-Woo Paik, MD, PhD³, Jun Hee Jeon, BA⁴, Seung-Gul Kang, MD, PhD¹, Seung-Min Bae, MD, PhD¹, Jong-Hoon Kim, MD, PhD¹, In Hee Cho, MD, PhD¹, Seong-Jin Cho, MD, PhD¹

¹Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.

²Incheon Metropolitan City Mental Health Center, Incheon, Korea.

³Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.

⁴Hwaseong Community Mental Health Center, Hwaseong, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Yu Jin Lee, MD, PhD. Department of Psychiatry, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, 21 Namdong-daero 774beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon 405-760, Korea. Tel: +82-32-468-9932, Fax: +82-32-472-3396, leeyj1203@gmail.com

Received 14 May 2013 Revised 13 June 2013 Accepted 1 July 2013

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate attitudes toward suicide and personal experiences with suicide among doctors and health care workers in Korea.

Methods

A total of 622 participants were included in this study and 617 participants completed a self-report questionnaire that included 31 items; 184 doctors and 433 health care workers. A questionnaire was used for assessment of demographic characteristics, attitude toward suicide, and personal experiences with suicide in doctors and health care workers. The collected data were evaluated using chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses. A probability level of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

More permissive attitudes toward suicide showed an association with doctor group and non-religious group (p<0.05). Religious group and older age showed an association with a more negative attitude (p<0.05). The lifetime and one-year prevalence rates of suicidal ideation were 31.4% and 9.8%, respectively, in all participants. The lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation was higher in the religious group (33.9%, p<0.05). Among all participants, 32.1% reported loss of a patient by suicide, and 29.9% reported contact with a patient at risk of suicide or with depression. In addition, 72.5% reported contact with a depressed patient.

Conclusion

Attitudes toward suicide among doctors and health care workers were shown to differ significantly between age, gender, doctor group and health care worker group, religious group and non-religious group. The reported level of suicidal ideation among doctors and health care workers is worthy of concern. Research is needed for establishment of effective prevention strategies on the basis of our findings.

Keywords: Suicide, Attitude toward suicide, Doctor, Primary health care

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between doctor group and health care worker group (n=617)

Chi-square test. ^*: p<0.05

Table 2

Comparison of recognition and attitude toward suicide according to gender, occupation and religion

Chi-square test. ^*: p<0.05, ^**: p<0.001. Y: Yes, N: No, T: Total

Table 3

Association of gender, occupation, religion, and age with recognition and attitude toward suicide

Binary logistic regression analysis. ^*: p<0.05, ^**: p<0.001. Binary logistic regression analysis. S.E.: Standard error, OR: Odds ratio, CI: Confidence interval, R²: Nagelkerke R-square

Table 4

Comparison of personal experiences on suicide according to gender, occupation and religion

Chi-square test. ^*: p<0.05. Y: Yes, N: No, T: Total

Table 5

Association of gender, occupation, religion, and age with personal experiences of suicide

Binary logistic regression analysis. ^*: p<0.05, ^**: p<0.001. S.E.: Standard error, OR: Odds ratio, CI: Confidence interval, R²: Nagelkerke R-square

Notes

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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