Suicide among the elderly and associated factors in South Korea

Abstract

With the population of the elderly increasing, suicides among elderly people present a serious problem for global societies. However, there are few studies on suicide among elderly subjects, especially in Asia. The study aimed to determine the relationship between physical health, mental health, social environmental condition, and the suicide behavior among elderly subjects in the city of Suwon, located southeast of Seoul. We analyzed 1548 Korean aged over 60 years from baseline data of a larger prospective study called the Suwon Project. The study protocol included sociodemographic variables, mental health factors, and physical health factors. In the interview, the subjects were asked about suicide ideation and history of suicide attempt. Of the total subjects, 7.42% reported suicide ideation and 1.42% reported a history of suicide attempt. A logistic regression analysis showed that physical illness, five stroke warning signs, anxiety and depression associated with suicide ideation, and depression strongly corresponded to the suicide ideation. Anxiety, depression, and stroke warning signs were associated with history of suicide attempt among the elderly. Additionally, stroke warning signs and depression are independently associated with history of suicide attempt. This study revealed that stroke warning signs have a high correlation with history of suicide attempt in the elderly, independent from the depression factors. This study suggests that there is an independent relationship between physical health status and suicide behavior in the case of elders.

Thai Psychiatric Nurses’ Experiences and Perceptions of the Professional Role When Caring for Older People Displaying Depressive Symptoms

“…If not diagnosed or properly treated, depression can increase the risk of suicide, as there is a close relationship between depression and suicidal ideation [14].…”

“…Above all, depression is strongly related to suicidal ideation, which can lead to suicide among older people [14].…”

Depression and suicidal ideation in community-dwelling older adults in Korea

“…Previous research on suicide among older adults has linked it to physical illness, socioeconomic-environmental status, and depression (Helliwell and Putnam, 2004;Shin et al ., 2013). Depression has been recognised as the most prevalent mental health problem afflicting older adults (Minardi and Blanchard, 2004), and is thus far the strongest predictive factor of suicide .…”

Wheel of Wellness Counseling in Community Dwelling, Korean Elders: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

“…Since wellness in elders is closely related to depression and health-related quality of life [4,5], it is necessary to investigate the effects of wellness counseling on depression and health-related quality of life as well as wellness.…”

“…In fact, 5,468 elderly people (81.8 per 100,000) died from suicide in Korea, which was the highest rate among OECD countries in 2011 [3]. Suicide by the elders is closely associated with a poor health condition, depression, and quality of life issues which are interrelated [4,5]. www.kan.or.kr moting a healthy lifestyle and wellness.…”