Nearly half of the fatalities from injuries last year were attributed to self-harm and suicide. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) –Over 43,000 individuals visited South Korean emergency rooms in the past year following suicide or self-harm attempts, with nearly half of these cases involving teenagers and young adults in their twenties.
The incidence of suicide and self-harm attempts among individuals aged 10 to 29 has surged by 50-70% in recent years. Experts attribute this alarming trend to the isolation from social relationships and increased job market challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a recent government report, out of 7,694,472 emergency room visits nationwide in 2022, there were 43,268 cases of self-harm and suicide attempts. This statistic signifies that 0.56% of all emergency room visits were due to individuals harming themselves or attempting suicide.
In 2022, the rate of self-harm and suicide attempts was 84.4 per 100,000 people, with a higher incidence among females (107.3 per 100,000) compared to males (61.4 per 100,000).
By age group, individuals in their twenties accounted for 12,432 cases, teenagers for 7,540, and those in their thirties for 6,071, making up 46% of all cases.
The rate per 100,000 people was highest among those in their twenties (190.8), followed by teenagers (160.5), and those in their thirties (91.5).
Notably, there has been a significant increase in self-harm and suicide attempts among teenagers and young adults in recent years. For teenagers, the rate jumped from 95 per 100,000 in 2018 to 160.5 in 2022, a 68.9% increase over five years.
During the same period, the rate for those in their twenties increased by 49.5%, far surpassing the 11.8% increase in the overall rate of self-harm and suicide attempts.
Experts believe this rise can be attributed to the mental health challenges faced by young people due to the disruption of social relationships and severe job market difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, the South Korean government has taken measures to address youth mental health, including reducing the interval for mental health screenings for young people from every ten years to every two years.
When analyzed by gender, the highest rate among males was among those over 80 years old (125.9 per 100,000), followed by those in their twenties (105.4), teenagers (69.1), and those in their thirties (65).
Among females, the highest rate was in those in their twenties (284.8 per 100,000), followed by teenagers (257.8), those in their thirties (119.9), and those in their forties (86.3).
The most common methods of self-harm and suicide attempts were poisoning, self-inflicted wounds, and asphyxiation, with poisoning being the most prevalent across all age groups.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
