Tapgol Park, located in central Seoul, is a popular destination for local seniors. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — The impulse to commit suicide is proportional to the risk of a financial crisis faced by an individual for two consecutive years, research showed Tuesday.
A research team from the medical college of Korea University conducted an analysis of 14,321 people using 2012 to 2018 Korea Welfare Panel Study data.
The research team set the premise that whoever has experienced (1) failure to pay for rent, deposit, or forced eviction; (2) failure to pay for utility bills; (3) inability to use heaters in the winter; (4) failure to pay for health insurance or losing insured status; (5) existence of a delinquent borrower in the household; (6) difficulty in accessing medical services; (7) and difficulty affording proper food was deemed to be struggling financially.
The results showed that heavier financial difficulties led to a stronger impulse for committing suicide throughout all age groups, especially among men over 65 years of age.
Roughly 20 percent of people over 65 years old who were facing more than three of the seven factors above thought about committing suicide.
In contrast, only 1.2 percent of those between the ages of 20 and 49 without any financial difficulties thought about committing suicide.
For every factor experienced by those over 65 years of age, the rate of impulse for committing suicide rose by 23 percent for women and 39 percent for men.
Men over 65 years of age who had experienced more than three types of financial difficulties were three times as likely to have suicidal impulses.
The rate rose even higher by a factor of 4.2 for those exposed to financial difficulties for two consecutive years.
The research team emphasized that suicidal impulses are not only influenced by psychological factors, but also by material means.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
