Abstract
This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)—the most severe mental health problem among South Korean adolescents in 2019. The participants were students from 12 middle and seven high schools in a single city in the metropolitan area in South Korea. A cluster-random sampling method was used—one class per school year at each middle and high schools. Every student in the selected classes was investigated. The final number of selected classes and students were as follows: 36 classes, 1074 students at middle schools; 35 classes, 873 students at high school. Data were obtained using a self-administered online questionnaire. The 12-month prevalence of NSSI was 8.8% among Korean adolescents, 2.85 times higher for female than male students (13.4% vs. 4.7%). For the school grade, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [mOR] was 3.89 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–11.26) higher for the group with the highest school records compared with the middle group for male students, while such pattern was not observed among female students (mOR 1.11, 95% CI 0.54–2.26). The risks for NSSI were higher among female students with lower economic status, compared with those with higher economic status (mOR 4.16, 95% CI 1.43–12.05). In contrast, economic status did not indicate higher risk among male students (mOR 1.43, 95% CI 0.42–4.84). This study suggests that the risk for NSSI among adolescent students may be different according to gender and comprehensive interventions from schools against NSSI may need a gender-sensitive approach in South Korea.
Highlights
The leading cause of death among South Korean adolescents is suicide [1]
As it focused on self-injury experience within three months, it is differentiated from other studies that generally focused on lifetime or 12-month prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
The distribution started earlier with a subsequent steep increase, which continued into early adulthood
Summary
The leading cause of death among South Korean adolescents is suicide [1]. Looking at the trend of suicide rates among 10–19 year olds over the past two decades, it had peaked at 6.5 per 100,000 in 2009 and declined for a period, started to rise again from 2016(Figure 1). The leading cause of death among South Korean adolescents is suicide [1]. Looking at the trend of suicide rates among 10–19 year olds over the past two decades, it had peaked at 6.5 per 100,000 in 2009 and declined for a period, started to rise again from 2016. It is noticeable that the suicide rate is rapidly increasing among teenage girls. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics shows this problematic trend of soaring suicide rate among teenage girls in South Korea, where the rate of teenage girls was 6.4 per 100,000, 1.9 times higher than the OECD average (2.3 per 100,000 persons) in 2019. That of teenage boys is 5.5 per 100,000 in Korea, which is lower than the OECD average, 5.8 per 100,000 [2]
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