Suicidal Vulnerability in the Elderly: A Study Based on Data from Busan Metropolitan

Suicidal Vulnerability in the Elderly: A Study Based on Data from Busan Metropolitan

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Purpose: This study aims to identify the current status of elderly suicide in Busan Metropolitan City based on the statistics of the injury surveillance system, and to derive high-risk factors. Methods: This descriptive survey study used statistics on the elderly from Statistics Korea, cause of death statistics, death statistics from the Korea National Police Agency, emergency statistics from the National Fire Agency, and the regional safety index from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Results: The high-risk factors for suicide among the elderly in Busan were living alone, aged 80 years or older, men, having a spouse, and being unemployed. The most common cause of suicide was physical illness, the most common high-risk location was home, and the most common suicide mechanism was hanging. The most frequent periods of suicide were found to be when many people are with family or during events. Conclusion: This study analyzes the current situation of elderly suicide in Busan and identifies high-risk factors, which is expected to be used to develop policies and programs to prevent elderly suicide.