The impact of the suicide of 'Parasite' actor Lee Sun Kyun on suicide rates in South Korea: A time-series analysis.

Decreases in suicide rates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were found in several countries, including Taiwan and South Korea. We investigated the pattern of the reduction in suicide by sex, age, method, and outbreak period in the two countries. Suicide data for Taiwan (2015-2021) and South Korea (2017-2021) stratified by sex, age, method, and month were extracted from national mortality data files in the two countries. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate suicide rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals across outbreak and inter-outbreak periods during the pandemic, relative to that expected based on pre-pandemic trends, and their associations with economic and outbreak control stringency indicators. There were fewer-than-expected suicides in Taiwan (7%-16% fewer suicides over outbreaks and inter-outbreaks) and South Korea (17% fewer suicides in outbreaks III and IV). Fewer-than-expected suicides were found primarily in the working-age populations aged 25 to 64 years in Taiwan and those aged 45 to 64 years in South Korea. In both countries, fewer-than-expected suicides by charcoal burning during the pandemic were consistently found; the greatest reduction occurred when the outbreak control measures were most restricted. Increased time at residence was associated with decreased suicide rates in South Korea. Taiwan and South Korea showed reduced suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Potential reasons for the decrease in suicides may include reduced access to suicide means during outbreaks in the two countries.

The aim of this study is to investigate mixed risk factors associated with suicide rates in South Korea. Data on suicide in South Korea from 1995 to 2015 were investigated to understand risk factors for suicide using time series analysis. We found that increasing GDP per capita growth rates and fertility rates were associated with decreasing suicide rates. Using the moving average method (monthly data), we found a negative correlation between suicide rates and the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI). Moreover, a seasonal pattern of suicide rates was found in South Korea. The suicide rate was highest in May and lowest in January. The months of outliers occurred against the seasonal pattern observed in 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008. These might be associated with the economic crisis or other miscellaneous risk factors. These results provide evidence that there is a significant relationship between suicide rates and the socioeconomic factors mentioned above in South Korea. The results obtained in this study may help to create public policies for lowering suicide rates in South Korea.

Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and suicide rates in South Korea: A time-series analysis of its onset and end.

The Economy and Suicide.

South Korea’s suicide rate is the highest among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This study seeks to verify regional variation in suicide rates in South Korea and to identify correlating factors. We used age-adjusted suicide rates for 252 administrative districts, and a Community Health Survey, national representative data, and other national representative data such as censuses were used to obtain information on socioeconomic, health related and social integration variables according to each administrative district. Regional variation in suicide rates was analyzed by using Extremal Quotient (EQ), and multiple linear regression analyses were used to investigate associations between variation in suicide rates and regional socioeconomic, public service factors and health related factors. The average suicide rate from 252 regions was 142.7 per 100,000 people. The highest region was Hongchun-gun (217.8) and the lowest was Gwachen-si (75.5). The EQ was 2.89, meaning that there is significant regional variation in suicide rates. Financial independence (β = −0.662, p < 0.001), social welfare budget (β = −0.754, p < 0.001) and divorce rates (β = 17.743, p < 0.001) were significant, along with other adjusted variables. This study suggests considering these factors in order to reduce suicide rates in South Korea.

Suicide rates in South Korea have been one of the highest in the world. The aim of this study is to quantify the contributions of age, sex, method, and place of residence to the trends of the suicide rates between 2001 and 2016 in South Korea. Using the suicide data obtained from the South Korean National Death Registration data set for the years 2001-2016, a Joinpoint regression analysis was conducted to determine if there was a significant change in the trend of suicide rates. Next, a decomposition analysis method was used to quantify the contributions of age, sex, method, and places of residence to the changes in the suicide rates. Suicide rates increased between 2001 and 2010, and decreased between 2010 and 2016. Among all the age groups, the 65-79 age group contributed most to the rise (18% in men and 7% in women) and fall (-15% in men and -14% in women) of suicide rates. Men contributed much more than women to the increasing trend of suicide rate (63.0% vs. 37.0%). Hanging was the key method of suicide, dominating the ups and downs of the suicide rates. The rates of suicide by pesticide poisoning have been decreasing since 2005 and suicide by charcoal burning continued to increase against a decreasing trend of suicide rate during the period of 2010-2016. The gap of the metropolitan-city-rural suicide rates was narrowing during the period under study, although the rural areas remained to have the highest suicide rates. The ups and downs of suicide rates in South Korea were not uniform across different sociodemographic groups. Age, sex, method, and place of residence contributed differently to the changes in suicide rates. Suicide prevention measures can be more focused on certain age-sex-method-region subgroups.

ObjectivesThe South Korean government has recently implemented policies to prevent suicide. However, there were few studies examining the recent changing trends in suicide rates. This study aims to examine the...

BackgroundSuicide rates have recently been decreasing on average among OECD countries, but increasing trends have been detected in South Korea, particularly since the 1997 economic crisis. There have been no detailed analyses about the changes of the suicide rates over time periods in Korea. We examined trends in both absolute and proportional suicide rates over the time period of economic development, crisis, and recovery (1986 – 2005) as well as in birth cohorts from 1924 to 1978.MethodsWe used data on total mortality and suicide rates from 1986 to 2005 published online by the Korean National Statistical Office (NSO) and extracted data for individuals under 80 years old. The analyses of the trends for 1) the sex-age-specific total mortality rate, 2) the sex-age-specific suicide rate, and 3) the sex-age-specific proportional suicide rate in 1986–2005 were conducted. To demonstrate the birth cohort effect on the proportional suicide rate, the synthetic birth cohort from 1924 to 1978 from the successive cross-sectional data was constructed.ResultsAge standardized suicide rates in South Korea increased by 98% in men (from 15.3 to 30.3 per 100,000) and by 124% in women (from 5.8 to 13.0 per 100,000). In both genders, the proportional increase in suicide rates was more prominent among the younger group aged under 45, despite the absolute increase being attributed to the older group. There were distinct cohort effects underlying increasing suicide rates particularly among younger age groups.ConclusionIncreasing suicide rates in Korea was composed of a greater absolute increase in the older group and a greater proportional increase in the younger group.

A number of ecological studies have found a pattern of increasing suicide rates after suicides of several Asian entertainment celebrities. However, the finding may be subject to positive outcome bias where cases with no perceived impact may be routinely excluded. In this study, we deploy interrupted time-series analysis using ARIMA transfer function models to investigate systematically the impact of thirteen celebrity suicides on subsequent suicide rates in South Korea. We find that three out of eleven cases were found to be followed by a significant increase in suicide rate, while controlling for seasonality, secular trends, and unemployment rates. Such significant increases could last for nine weeks. Non-significance cases may be attributable to the small amount of media coverage, the “displacement” effect of preceding case, and the negative connotation of celebrity deaths. We therefore conclude that whether or not the impacts were detected may be largely conditioned by various contextual factors. Current evidence based on ecological studies is insufficient to draw a firm conclusion. Further studies using multiple approaches should be developed.

BackgroundThe lethality of the suicide method employed is a strong risk factor for the completion of suicide. We examined whether annual changes in the pattern of suicide methods is related to annual changes in suicide rates in South Korea, the United States (US), and Finland.MethodsWe analyzed annual data from 2000–2011 for South Korea and Finland, and 2000–2010 for the US in order to examine trends in the rates and methods of suicide. Data on suicide methods were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) mortality database.ResultsAlong with an annual rapid increase in suicide rates, the incidence of hanging increased steadily while suicide by self-poisoning steadily decreased in South Korea. In the US, along with an annual increase in suicide rates, the proportion of suicides committed by hanging increased while those committed with the use of firearms steadily decreased. In Finland, annual changes in the suicide rate and suicide method were not statistically significant during the study period.ConclusionsOur present findings suggest that the increased use of specific lethal methods for suicide, namely hanging, is reflected in the increased suicide rates in the Korean and the US populations. The most effective approach for reducing overall suicide rates may be the implementation of population-based initiatives that reduce both the accessibility (e.g., access to firearms) and the social acceptability (e.g., effective and responsible regulations for reporting suicide) of lethal methods of suicide.

Suicide rates in South Korea and internationally following release of the Netflix series 'Squid Game'.

The annual suicide rate in South Korea is the highest among the developed countries. Paraquat is a highly lethal herbicide, commonly used in South Korea as a means for suicide. We have studied the effect of the 2011 paraquat prohibition on the national suicide rate and method of suicide in South Korea. We obtained the monthly suicide rate from 2005 to 2013 in South Korea. In our analyses, we adjusted for the effects of celebrity suicides, and economic, meteorological, and seasonal factors on suicide rate. We employed change point analysis to determine the effect of paraquat prohibition on suicide rate over time, and the results were verified by structural change analysis, an alternative statistical method. After the paraquat prohibition period in South Korea, there was a significant reduction in the total suicide rate and suicide rate by poisoning with herbicides or fungicides in all age groups and in both genders. The estimated suicide rates during this period decreased by 10.0% and 46.1% for total suicides and suicides by poisoning of herbicides or fungicides, respectively. In addition, method substitution effect of paraquat prohibition was found in suicide by poisoning by carbon monoxide, which did not exceed the reduction in the suicide rate of poisoning with herbicides or fungicides. In South Korea, paraquat prohibition led to a lower rate of suicide by paraquat poisoning, as well as a reduction in the overall suicide rate. Paraquat prohibition should be considered as a national suicide prevention strategy in developing and developed countries alongside careful observation for method substitution effects.

BackgroundSuicide is a serious worldwide public health concern, and South Korea has shown the highest suicide rate among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries since 2003. Nevertheless, most previous Korean studies on suicide had limitations in investigating various social environment factors using long-term nationwide data. Thus, this study examined how various social environment characteristics are related to the suicide rate at the district-level, using nationwide longitudinal data over 11 years.MethodsWe used the district-level age-standardized suicide rate and a total of 12 annual social environment characteristics that represented socioeconomic, demographic, urbanicity, general health behaviors, and other environmental characteristics from 229 administrative districts in South Korea. A Bayesian hierarchical model with integrated Laplace approximations (INLA) was used to examine the spatiotemporal association between the rate of suicide and the social environment indicators selected for the study.ResultsIn the total population, the indicators “% of population aged 65 and older eligible for the basic pension”, “% vacant houses in the area”, “% divorce”, “% single elderly households”, “% detached houses”, “% current smokers”, and “% of population with obesity” showed positive associations with the suicide rate. In contrast, “% of people who regularly participated in religious activities” showed negative associations with suicide rate. The associations between these social environment characteristics and suicide rate were generally more statistically significant in males and more urbanized areas, than in females and less urbanized areas; however, associations differed amongst age groups, depending on the social environment characteristic variable under study.ConclusionsThis study investigated the complex role of social environments on suicide rate in South Korea and revealed that higher suicide rates were associated with lower values of socioeconomic status, physical exercise, and religious activities, and with higher social isolation and smoking practice. Our results can be used in the development of targeted suicide prevention policies.

BackgroundMultiple studies have shown that macroeconomic factors are associated with changes in suicide rates. We investigated how changes in economic conditions associated with the recent economic crisis in South Korea...

The lethality of the suicide method is a strong risk factor for completed suicide. We examined whether the annual change in the pattern of suicide methods was related to the annual change in suicide rates among adolescents in South Korea and the United States. We analyzed annual data for the 2000-2009 period for South Korea and the 2000-2008 period for the United States to examine time trends in the suicide rates and suicide methods of adolescents aged 10-19years in two countries. Data on suicide methods were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) mortality database. Suicide rates among adolescents in the United States have remained relatively steady since 2000, whereas the suicide among Korean adolescents has increased. Between 2000 and 2009, the most common suicide method among Korean adolescents was jumping for boys and girls, whereas it was hanging for girls and firearms for boys in the United States. Along with the annual increase in suicide rates in South Korea, the incidences of jumping among males and hanging (and recently jumping) among females have increased steadily, whereas suicide by self-poisoning steadily decreased. In the United States, between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of suicides committed by hanging increased, whereas those committed using firearms steadily decreased, particularly among adolescent females. These findings suggest that the increased use of lethal suicide methods is reflected in the increase in suicide rates in Korean adolescents. The most fruitful approach to addressing the rises in jumping suicides among Korean adolescents and hanging suicides among adolescents in the United States may be through population-based initiatives to reduce the physical availability (e.g., limiting access to or fencing off tall structures) and the social acceptability (e.g., effective and responsible regulations for reporting suicide) of these methods.