Temporal Trends and Characteristics of Adult Patients in Emergency Department Related to Suicide Attempt or Self-Harm in Korea, 2016–2020

Abstract

Background The implementation of an effective suicide prevention program requires the identification and monitoring of subpopulations with elevated risks for suicide in consideration of demographic characteristics, to facilitate the development of tailored countermeasures for tackling the risk factors of suicide. We examined the annual trends in emergency department (ED) visits for suicide attempts (SAs) or self-harm and investigated the sex- and age-specific characteristics of individuals who visited the ED for SA and self-harm. Methods Data on ED visits for SAs or self-harm in Korea from 2016 to 2020 were extracted from the National Emergency Department Information System and assessed. We evaluated the age-standardized incidence rate of ED visits for SAs or self-harm, and hospital mortality among individuals who visited the ED for SAs or self-harm. In addition, the characteristics of the individuals were compared according to sex and age. Results We identified 145,963 ED visits for SAs or self-harm (0.42% of the total ED visits) during the study period. The rate of ED visits increased in the youngest age group (19–29 years old), and was more prominent among women (increased by an annual average of 22.5%), despite the coronavirus disease pandemic. The middle-aged group (45–64 years old) had a higher rate of mortality than other age groups, and the highest proportion of individuals on Medical Aid. Conclusion It is necessary to plan age- and gender-specific suicide prevention programs that focus on improving the limited public mental health resources for the vulnerable populations.

Epidemiology of suicide attempts and self-harm in emergency departments: a report from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) of Korea, 2018–2022

“…In particular, it was observed that the incidence rate per 100,000 population among women increased significantly, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak. Previous research on self-harm patients in Korea demonstrated similar sexual discrepancies in self-harm patients to this study and also revealed that young women have made a growing contribution to increasing self-harm rates among females over the last few years [11,12]. However, sex-specific in-hospital mortality rates exhibited a reverse trend to the incidence rate.…”

The Profile of Self-Harm and Suicide in Iran Considering Gender Differences: A Multicenter Study Affiliated with the National Trauma Registry of Iran

“…This suggests that suicidal behavior among men is more lethal than among women ( 42 ). As noted by Lee et al ., there is a need to develop tailored suicide prevention initiatives based on age and gender ( 43 ). Suicide or self-harm are pivotal social concerns that depend on several factors.…”