Open Access, Peer-reviewed
pISSN 1015-4817
eISSN 2289-0963
    J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc. 2015 May;54(2):209-215. Korean.
    Published online May 31, 2015.
    https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.2.209
    Copyright © 2015 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
    Original Article

    Characteristics of Korean Suicide Attempters

    Meerae Lim, MD,1 Soojung Lee, MPH,2 and 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, Email: lugar@kangwon.ac.kr
    Received January 15, 2015; Revised February 12, 2015; Accepted March 24, 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

    Tables

    Table 1
    Socio-demographic factors that influence to intent of suicide attempts

    Table 2
    Socio-demographic factors that influence to suicide ideation and lethality

    Table 3
    Correlation between suicidal idea/intent and lethality of suicidal behavior

    Notes

    Conflicts of Interest:The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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    MeSH Terms
    Colombia
    Emergency Service, Hospital
    Hospitals, University
    Humans
    Male
    Medical Records
    Mental Disorders
    Risk Factors
    Suicide*
    Metrics
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