Factors Influencing Suicide Attempts of Adolescents with Suicidal Thoughts in South Korea: Using the 15th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS)
Abstract
Background: Adolescence is a period of physical and psychological change that causes adolescents to experience anxiety, stress, and loss of control. These experiences can lead to thoughts about suicide. However, not all adolescents with suicidal thoughts attempt suicide. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence suicide attempts among adolescents with suicidal thoughts, and to prepare a theoretical basis for a method to prevent suicide among adolescents.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the 15th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2019) was used. The participants were 7,498 adolescents aged 12-18 yr with thoughts of suicide. Factors influencing suicide attempts among adolescents with suicidal thoughts were analyzed using a complex sample logistic analysis.
Results: Gender, age, academic performance, and economic level were the general factors associated with suicide attempts of adolescents with suicidal thoughts. Physical and psychological factors included smoking, alcohol use, drug use, sex-related experience, experiencing violence, efforts to reduce weight, level of physical activity, and depression.
Conclusion: Age and gender should be taken into consideration when designing suicide prevention activities. In addition, in order to lower the suicide rate of adolescents in Korea, an effective system of prevention and intervention strategies should be implemented, which attend to the issues of adolescents from low-income families, adolescent weight and body image concerns, and adolescent depression.
1. Turecki G, Brent D (2016). Suicide and sui-cidal behaviour. Lancet, 387 (10024):1227–39.
2. Statistics Korea (2020). The results of statis-tics on causes of death in 2019. Available from: http://kostat.go.kr/assist/synap/preview/skin/doc.html?fn=synapview385219_1&rs=/assist/synap/preview
3. Bilsen J (2018). Suicide and youth: risk fac-tors. Front Psychiatry, 9: 540.
4. Patton GC, Sawyer SM, Santelli JS, et al (2016). Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. Lan-cet, 387 (10036): 2423–78.
5. Shain B, Committee on Adolescence (2016). Suicide and suicide attempts in adoles-cents. Pediatrics, 138 (1): e20161420.
6. Gould MS (2001). Suicide and the me-dia. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 932: 200–21.
7. Cheng JKY, Fancher TL, Ratanasen M, et al (2010). Lifetime suicidal ideation and sui-cide attempts in Asian Americans. Asian Am J Psychol, 1 (1): 18–30.
8. Nock MK, Borges G, Bromet EJ, et al (2008). Suicide and suicidal behavior. Epidemiol Rev, 30 (1):133–54.
9. Kwon H, Lee JS, Kim AR, et al (2018). Risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak, 29 (3): 114–21.
10. National Institute of Mental Health (2021). Suicide. Available from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml
11. Cooper J, Kapur N, Webb R, et al (2005). Suicide after deliberate self-harm: a 4-year cohort study. Am J Psychiatry, 162 (2): 297–303.
12. Nock MK, Green JG, Hwang I, et al (2013). Prevalence, correlates, and treatment of lifetime suicidal behavior among adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement. JAMA Psychiatry, 70 (3):300–10.
13. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016). National adolescent health behavior survey. Available from: http://www.cdc.go.kr/CDC/contents/CdcKrCon-tentView.jsp?cid=77749&menuIds=HOME001-MNU1130-MNU2393-MNU2749
14. Mars B, Heron J, Klonsky ED, et al (2019). What distinguishes adoles-cents with suicidal thoughts from those who have attempted suicide? a population‐based birth cohort study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 60 (1): 91–99.
15. Goldston DB, Erkanli A, Daniel SS, et al (2016). Developmental trajectories of sui-cidal thoughts and behaviors from ado-lescence through adulthood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 55 (5): 400–407.e1.
16. Cavanagh JT, Carson AJ, Sharpe M, Lawrie SM (2003). Psychological autopsy studies of suicide: a systematic review. Psychol Med, 33 (3): 395–405.
17. King CA, Merchant CR (2008). Social and interpersonal factors relating to adoles-cent suicidality: a review of the literature. Arch Suicide Res, 12 (3): 181–96.
18. Hawton K, Saunders KE, O'Connor RC (2012). Self-harm and suicide in adoles-cents. Lancet, 379 (9834): 2373–82.
19. Portzky G, Audenaert K, van Heeringen K (2005). Suicide among adolescents. A psychological autopsy study of psychiat-ric, psychosocial and personality-related risk factors. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemi-ol, 40 (11): 922–30.
20. Steele IH, Thrower N, Noroian P, Saleh FM (2018). Understanding suicide across the lifespan: a United States perspective of suicide risk factors, assessment & man-agement. J Forensic Sci, 63(1): 162-171.
21. Faramarzian Z, Delam H, Habibikhah Z, Bazrafshan, MR (2019). Demographic characteristics of adolescents with a his-tory of suicide attempt in Larestan, Iran: 2012-2018. Payesh, 18(5): 475-483.
22. Lee S, Kim G (2021). A study on suicide and physical activity of Korean adoles-cents. Journal of Humanities and Social Scienc-es, 12 (21): 505–18.
23. Mokhtari AM, Gholamzadeh S, Salari A, Hassanipour S, Mirahmadizadeh A (2019). Epidemiology of suicide in 10–19 years old in southern Iran, 2011–2016: a population-based study on 6720 cases. J Forensic Leg Med, 66: 129-133.
24. Kim C, Kim JM (2020). Effects of domestic violence experience on the suicide inten-tion of adolescents at their suicide at-tempts: mediating effects of acquired ca-pacity for suicide. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 27 (4): 1–22.
25. Choi JS, Kim JS (2017). Mediating effect of body image distortion on weight loss ef-forts in normal‐weight and underweight Korean adolescent girls. J Sch Health, 87 (3): 217–224.
26. Ryu H, Kim Y, Kim J (2020). Association between subjective body image and sui-cide ideation: based on 14th Korean Youth Health Behavior Survey. Health Pol-icy Manag, 30 (2): 211–220.
27. Felez-Nobrega M, Haro JM, Vancampfort D, Koyanagi A (2020). Sex difference in the association between physical activity and suicide attempts among adolescents from 48 countries: a global perspective. J Affect Disord, 266: 311–8.
28. Brausch AM, Muehlenkamp JJ (2007). Body image and suicidal ideation in adoles-cents. Body Image, 4 (2): 207–12.
29. Eschenbeck H, Kohlmann CW, Lohaus A (2007). Gender differences in coping strategies in children and adolescents. Journal of Individual Differences, 28 (1): 18-26.
30. Breslin K, Balaban J, Shubkin CD (2020). Adolescent suicide: what can pediatricians do? Curr Opin Pediatr, 32 (4): 595–600.
31. Njoku JN, Obogo GO (2017). Prevalence of depression and its relationship with drug abuse among senior secondary school students in Calabar, Calabar Cross river state, Nigeria. Glob J Educ Res, 16 (2): 155–61.
32. Savioja H, Helminen M, Fröjd S, et al (2015). Sexual experience and self-reported de-pression across the adolescent years. Health Psychol Behav Med, 3 (1): 337–47.
33. Fazel S, Wolf A, Chang Z, et al (2015). De-pression and violence: a Swedish popula-tion study. Lancet Psychiatry, 2 (3): 224–32.
34. Hodgkinson S, Godoy L, Beers LS, Lewin A (2017). Improving mental health access for low-income children and families in the primary care setting. Pediatrics, 139 (1): e20151175.
35. Jung SJ, Woo HT, Cho S, et al (2017). Asso-ciation between body size, weight change and depression: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry, 211 (1): 14–21.
2. Statistics Korea (2020). The results of statis-tics on causes of death in 2019. Available from: http://kostat.go.kr/assist/synap/preview/skin/doc.html?fn=synapview385219_1&rs=/assist/synap/preview
3. Bilsen J (2018). Suicide and youth: risk fac-tors. Front Psychiatry, 9: 540.
4. Patton GC, Sawyer SM, Santelli JS, et al (2016). Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. Lan-cet, 387 (10036): 2423–78.
5. Shain B, Committee on Adolescence (2016). Suicide and suicide attempts in adoles-cents. Pediatrics, 138 (1): e20161420.
6. Gould MS (2001). Suicide and the me-dia. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 932: 200–21.
7. Cheng JKY, Fancher TL, Ratanasen M, et al (2010). Lifetime suicidal ideation and sui-cide attempts in Asian Americans. Asian Am J Psychol, 1 (1): 18–30.
8. Nock MK, Borges G, Bromet EJ, et al (2008). Suicide and suicidal behavior. Epidemiol Rev, 30 (1):133–54.
9. Kwon H, Lee JS, Kim AR, et al (2018). Risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak, 29 (3): 114–21.
10. National Institute of Mental Health (2021). Suicide. Available from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml
11. Cooper J, Kapur N, Webb R, et al (2005). Suicide after deliberate self-harm: a 4-year cohort study. Am J Psychiatry, 162 (2): 297–303.
12. Nock MK, Green JG, Hwang I, et al (2013). Prevalence, correlates, and treatment of lifetime suicidal behavior among adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement. JAMA Psychiatry, 70 (3):300–10.
13. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016). National adolescent health behavior survey. Available from: http://www.cdc.go.kr/CDC/contents/CdcKrCon-tentView.jsp?cid=77749&menuIds=HOME001-MNU1130-MNU2393-MNU2749
14. Mars B, Heron J, Klonsky ED, et al (2019). What distinguishes adoles-cents with suicidal thoughts from those who have attempted suicide? a population‐based birth cohort study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 60 (1): 91–99.
15. Goldston DB, Erkanli A, Daniel SS, et al (2016). Developmental trajectories of sui-cidal thoughts and behaviors from ado-lescence through adulthood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 55 (5): 400–407.e1.
16. Cavanagh JT, Carson AJ, Sharpe M, Lawrie SM (2003). Psychological autopsy studies of suicide: a systematic review. Psychol Med, 33 (3): 395–405.
17. King CA, Merchant CR (2008). Social and interpersonal factors relating to adoles-cent suicidality: a review of the literature. Arch Suicide Res, 12 (3): 181–96.
18. Hawton K, Saunders KE, O'Connor RC (2012). Self-harm and suicide in adoles-cents. Lancet, 379 (9834): 2373–82.
19. Portzky G, Audenaert K, van Heeringen K (2005). Suicide among adolescents. A psychological autopsy study of psychiat-ric, psychosocial and personality-related risk factors. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemi-ol, 40 (11): 922–30.
20. Steele IH, Thrower N, Noroian P, Saleh FM (2018). Understanding suicide across the lifespan: a United States perspective of suicide risk factors, assessment & man-agement. J Forensic Sci, 63(1): 162-171.
21. Faramarzian Z, Delam H, Habibikhah Z, Bazrafshan, MR (2019). Demographic characteristics of adolescents with a his-tory of suicide attempt in Larestan, Iran: 2012-2018. Payesh, 18(5): 475-483.
22. Lee S, Kim G (2021). A study on suicide and physical activity of Korean adoles-cents. Journal of Humanities and Social Scienc-es, 12 (21): 505–18.
23. Mokhtari AM, Gholamzadeh S, Salari A, Hassanipour S, Mirahmadizadeh A (2019). Epidemiology of suicide in 10–19 years old in southern Iran, 2011–2016: a population-based study on 6720 cases. J Forensic Leg Med, 66: 129-133.
24. Kim C, Kim JM (2020). Effects of domestic violence experience on the suicide inten-tion of adolescents at their suicide at-tempts: mediating effects of acquired ca-pacity for suicide. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 27 (4): 1–22.
25. Choi JS, Kim JS (2017). Mediating effect of body image distortion on weight loss ef-forts in normal‐weight and underweight Korean adolescent girls. J Sch Health, 87 (3): 217–224.
26. Ryu H, Kim Y, Kim J (2020). Association between subjective body image and sui-cide ideation: based on 14th Korean Youth Health Behavior Survey. Health Pol-icy Manag, 30 (2): 211–220.
27. Felez-Nobrega M, Haro JM, Vancampfort D, Koyanagi A (2020). Sex difference in the association between physical activity and suicide attempts among adolescents from 48 countries: a global perspective. J Affect Disord, 266: 311–8.
28. Brausch AM, Muehlenkamp JJ (2007). Body image and suicidal ideation in adoles-cents. Body Image, 4 (2): 207–12.
29. Eschenbeck H, Kohlmann CW, Lohaus A (2007). Gender differences in coping strategies in children and adolescents. Journal of Individual Differences, 28 (1): 18-26.
30. Breslin K, Balaban J, Shubkin CD (2020). Adolescent suicide: what can pediatricians do? Curr Opin Pediatr, 32 (4): 595–600.
31. Njoku JN, Obogo GO (2017). Prevalence of depression and its relationship with drug abuse among senior secondary school students in Calabar, Calabar Cross river state, Nigeria. Glob J Educ Res, 16 (2): 155–61.
32. Savioja H, Helminen M, Fröjd S, et al (2015). Sexual experience and self-reported de-pression across the adolescent years. Health Psychol Behav Med, 3 (1): 337–47.
33. Fazel S, Wolf A, Chang Z, et al (2015). De-pression and violence: a Swedish popula-tion study. Lancet Psychiatry, 2 (3): 224–32.
34. Hodgkinson S, Godoy L, Beers LS, Lewin A (2017). Improving mental health access for low-income children and families in the primary care setting. Pediatrics, 139 (1): e20151175.
35. Jung SJ, Woo HT, Cho S, et al (2017). Asso-ciation between body size, weight change and depression: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry, 211 (1): 14–21.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 51 No 9 (2022) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v51i9.10553 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Adolescent Big data Depression Suicidal Suicide attempt | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Kwon M, Kim SA, Seo K. Factors Influencing Suicide Attempts of Adolescents with Suicidal Thoughts in South Korea: Using the 15th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS). Iran J Public Health. 2022;51(9):1990-1998.
