알코올사용장애와 자살위험에 관한 중독분야 실무자의 경험과 대응전략

Alcohol use disorders and suicide prevention: Insights from addiction professionals

Objectives: Drawing from the experiences of addiction professionals, this study explores suicide crises among individuals with alcohol use disorders and the strategies employed by practitioners to respond to them. Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted with six addiction professionals from community-based centers across various regions of Korea, each with 15 to 24 years of field experience. The interviews focused on identifying suicide risk factors and intervention practices in the context of addiction. Results: Data analysis yielded 8 categories, 20 themes and 49 key meaning units. The eight categories include: 1) Frequent encounters with suicide risk and its aftermath in addiction Settings, 2) Points at which addiction leads to suicide, 3) Warning signs of suicide in individuals with addiction as perceived by practitioners, 4) Practitioners’ dilemmas stemming from the difficulty of assessing suicidal intent, 5) Effective intervention strategies for individuals with addiction at risk of suicide, 6) Essential but insufficient suicide prevention education in addiction settings, 7) The need to develop suicide prevention education tailored to addiction settings, and 8) Requests for preventing burnout among practitioners dealing with addiction and suicide issues. Conclusion: The findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen the capacity of addiction services to effectively identify and manage suicide risk, emphasizing tailored education and systemic support for professionals in the field.