Characteristics of Korean Suicide Attempters

Meerae Lim; Soojung Lee; Jong-Ik Park

doi:10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.2.209

Journal List > J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc > v.54(2) > 1017732

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Lim, Lee, and Park: Characteristics of Korean Suicide Attempters

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2015; 54(2): 209-215.

Published online: 31 May 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.2.209

Characteristics of Korean Suicide Attempters

Meerae Lim, MD¹, Soojung Lee, MPH², Jong-Ik Park, MD, PhD, LLM³

¹St. Andrea Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Icheon, Korea.

²Korea Suicide Prevention Center, Seoul, Korea.

³Department of Psychiatry, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Jong-Ik Park, MD, PhD, LLM. Department of Psychiatry, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, 156 Baengnyeong-ro, Chuncheon 200-722, Korea. Tel +82-33-258-9171, Fax +82-33-258-2146, lugar@kangwon.ac.kr

Received 15 January 2015 Revised 12 February 2015 Accepted 24 March 2015

Abstract

Objectives

In the current study, we investigated the general characteristics of suicide attempters and attempted to determine factors contributing to suicide attempt by analyzing severe suicide ideation and intent.

Methods

This study analyzed medical records of suicide attempters who visited the emergency departments. Data were collected from 7 university hospitals nationwide. As an evaluation measure of suicide intent, we used Suicide Intent Scale (SIS). Colombia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) was applied for assessment of severity and intensity of suicide idea and lethality of suicide behavior.

Results

Male gender, old age and living alone group showed higher SIS score. Male gender, low income, and having psychiatric diagnosis or suicide history group showed a high score on the severity subscale of suicide ideation of C-SSRS. Old age, low income, and having psychiatric diagnosis showed a high score on the intensity subscale of suicide ideation of C-SSRS. Actual lethality scale of C-SSRS was high in male gender and old age group. Severity and intensity of suicide ideation and suicide intent showed positive correlation with actual lethality of suicide behavior.

Conclusion

Male gender, old age, living alone, psychiatric diagnosis, and suicide history were risk factors affecting severity and intensity of suicide ideation and intent of suicide. Severity and intensity of suicide ideation and intent are positively related to lethality of suicide behavior.

Keywords: Suicide attempter, Suicide ideation, Suicide intent, Lethality

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Socio-demographic factors that influence to intent of suicide attempts

^* : p<0.05, ^† : t-test was performed, ^‡ : Pearson's correlation was performed, ^§ : Analysis of variance was performed, ^∥ : Spearman's correlation was performed. SD : Standard deviation

Table 2

Socio-demographic factors that influence to suicide ideation and lethality

^* : p<0.05, ^† : t-test was performed, ^‡ : Pearson's correlation was performed, ^§ : Analysis of variance was performed, ^∥ : Spearman's correlation was performed. SD : Standard deviation

Table 3

Correlation between suicidal idea/intent and lethality of suicidal behavior

Spearman's correlation was done. ^* : p<0.05. C-SSRS : Colombia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, SIS : Suicide Intent Scale

Notes

^{Conflicts of Interest} The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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