한국인의 자살 (1965—1988)

The Decline of Suicide Mortality in Korea During the Period of Economic Development: An Analysis of Police Records1965 ᅳ 1988

Recognizing the problem of under-reporting of suicide on death certificates, this study analyzes suicide data from police investigation records for the last twenty years. About two times more suicide deaths are reported to the police than in the vital registration system. Although one may expect to see a rise in suicide mortality due to improved reporting during the period of economic development, the police statistics clearly show a steady decline since 1975. The trends are examined based on directly standardized suicide mortality rates. The rate fluctuated at a high level(30 per 100,000; 40 for males and 18 for females) during early period of economic development( 1965-1975) and declined steadily to 15 per 100, 000 in 1988(20 for males and 9 for females). The decline is more dramatic in the standardized rates than in the crude rates, indicating that the declining birth rate is masking falling suicide rate. The decline is evident in all ages with a marked drop in ages 20-50. The gender differences in suicide mortality seem consistent over time but the lethal means of committing suicide are changing. Although the use of firearms is rare, poisoning by medicinal substances or chemicals accounts for about 50 percent of suicide deaths. However, the role of poisoning is waning as lethal chemicals are less readily accessible to the public, whereas strangulation and suicide by domestic gases are increasing. Although methodological problems are inherent in using police records, our analyses suggest that the suicide mortality rate had declined in Korea in recent years. This will provide an opportunity to study factors influencing the change. Further analyses of police statistics by geographic characteristics and an examination of relationships between suicide and homicide and accidents would be helpful in unraveling important psychiatric and public health implications