Identifying Risk Factors, Exploring, and Proposing Interventions to Address Suicidality in South Korean Adolescents

Identifying Risk Factors, Exploring, and Proposing Interventions to Address Suicidality in South Korean Adolescents

Suicide is a prevalent global health concern, particularly in South Korea, which has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. Previous research has shown that various factors are associated with an acute increase in the suicide rate among South Korean adolescents. This literature review discusses risk factors of suicidality that could potentially impact suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among youth, focusing on family context, stigma of mental illness, extreme academic pressure, and wang-ta bullying. Additionally, this review explores current status of youth suicidality and the interventions in South Korea, such as mental health screenings, hotline call services, internet-based counseling, and Suicide CARE. The review also proposes interventions to prevent suicides in youth that could be utilized both within and outside of schools; Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Youth mental health seminars, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum. The study highlights current efforts to reduce the suicide risks in South Korea nationwide and the importance of future research.