SEOUL, Aug 3 — Nearly 10 South Koreans aged 65 and above died by suicide each day between 2019 and 2023, according to a new medical study in the Journal of the Korean Medical Association.
A total of 18,044 people in that age group took their own lives during the five-year period; this works out to more than 3,000 deaths every year, The Korea Herald reported today.
The study was authored by Dr Oh Dae-jong, assistant professor of the Workplace Mental Health Institute at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
According to the study, the suicide mortality rate among South Koreans aged 65 and older stood at 40.6 per 100,000 in 2023.
This was 45 per cent higher than the rate of 28 recorded among those aged 15 to 64.
“Older adults are less likely than younger people to seek psychiatric help before attempting suicide, and many take their own lives after only one or a few attempts, making early identification of high-risk seniors important,” Dr Oh was quoted as saying in the study.
Depression in South Koreans aged 65 and above is often linked to the loss of a spouse, financial stress, loneliness, family conflict and feeling like a burden to their families, the study noted.
Chronic physical illness is another major factor, especially in the period soon after a diagnosis.
Compared to younger people, those aged 65 and above are more likely to use fatal methods such as ingesting pesticides or hanging, which makes survival much less likely.
The South Korean study advised on the need to train “gatekeepers across the medical field who can identify and respond to early verbal, emotional and behavioral warning signs in older adults at risk of suicide”.
It also recommended comprehensive, collaborative strategy between health professionals and the community to prevent more suicides.
Statistics Korea said the population of people aged 65 and older crossed the 10 million mark for the first time in November last year.
There were 10.12 million in that age group, an increase of 513,000 from the year before.
People aged 65 and above now make up 19.5 per cent of South Korea’s total population of 51.81 million.
This means nearly one in five South Koreans are now 65 or older.
* If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim’s Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).
