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To analyze the suicide patterns of Koreans, a research study was conducted from the suicide cases taken from the Dong-A Newspaper from 1981 to 1990. Four hundred and eleven cases were obtained from the collected data, which were composed of 275 cases of males and 136 cases of females. The age,groups wereclassified into 6 groups for convenience; 10´s, 20´s, 30´s, 40´s, 50´s, and 60´s. The group differences were then compared for analysis.
The characteristics in relation to the socio-demographics and family environment were compared for analysis. Suicide types compared and analyzed by gender and age group in terms of frequency,
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type, time, place, method, motivation, location and size of articles, and risk factors for suicide. Statistical analysis used SPSS/PC-´ for cross-tabulation analysis.
1.. In relation to the rate of Koreans´ suicide, male suicide rate was at least double that of fe male(2.02 : 1). The age group of the 20´s(118 cases) and 30´s(96 cases) accounted for a pre-dominant rate of 52.6% of the sample.
2. The distribution of occupation of suicides showed that most were students (22.5 % ), followed by the unemployed (17.8 % ) and housewives(12.7 %), retrospectively.
In relation to the residency of those that had committed suicide, residents who lived in large cities accounted for the greatest number as 70.3%. Especially, females and cases in their 40´s were more likely to live in large cities.
In the marital status, singles were in the lead(144 cases, 33.0%). With respect to marital
status by age group, cases in their 40´s(17.4%) tended to have an unstable status such vorce, separation, co-habitation, remarriage, or widowed. In birth order, the first child werel the highest ones as 22.1 %.
3. In relationship 1"0 the family structure, data revealed that nuclear families were the m0st(163 cases).
Especially, males and cases in their 40´s were likely to be from a nuclear familiy, while, those in their 60´s were from an extended family. In relation to parental survival, data showed that bosh parents dead were at the highest frequency as 264 cases. In case of female, loss of both pare-_ts were more frequent.
4. With respect tC: the frequency of recurrent suicide, data presented that 6.3% of the cases experienced recurrent suicide. In case of the recurrent suicide of male(8.0%), the rate was about 2.3 times higher than that of female (2.9 %) .
5. For the relations´ hips of homicide and suicide, data showed that 128cases ( 31.2 %o) hurt others and attempted .s icicce. Among them, 96 cases(23.4%) attempted co-suicide and 32 cases(7.8
attempted homicide others. Analyzed by the characteristics of gender and age group, 10´s males were more likely to comil t solo-suicide, women in their 30´s or 40´s commit co-suicide, and 50´s commis suicide after homicide.
Among the vi-,-,ims of homicide, family members were the most(42 cases). Analysis by age difference bete...een the suicide partners, the cases of 30´s or 40´s were with family members,
?G´s with lovers; and 10´s with their peers. 1
6. in relation to the annual distribution of frequency of suicide, data revealed that most cases of 3"tic.,de were repo ted in 1990(95 cases), 70 case in 1981, 45 cases in 1982, 44 in 1983, 30 in 1986, 1387, 1989 mach, the fewest cases were in 1985(14 cases). in terms of the trend of suicide, recndy the rate of male and old cohorts over 50´s has been increasing. A great number of suicide were in 1981--1982 and 1989-1990, the period of a great political-economical up, neaval. On the ~,jher hand, the number of suicide was lov. during the period of political-economical stability of 1985 and of political thawing in 1988. These fact demonstrated that there were some relau nships between political-economical change and the rate of suicide.
7. For the month o`` suicide, data showed that the highest frequency of cases were in May and 13 June( 21.7 % ), f o iowed by 44(10.7%) in September. For the season of suicide, the fewest cases were in winter(78 cases). The cases of 10´s or 20´s were more likely to suicide in May and June, and those of older aged group above 50´s in fall, weekend, between 1` : 00---6 00 A.M.
8. With respect to he place of suicide, data presented that in most cases suicide was attempted at home(210 cases). Compared by gender, the rate of iemal´s suicide at home(71.3%) was re- 14. markably´ higher than that of male´s ( 41.4 % ). On the other hand, the rate of male´s suicide in indoors was much higher( 36.4 %) than that of female´s(i 5; l %) . Analvzed by age groups over 50´s were nore likely to attempt suicide at home, 30´s in indoors, 20´s in the office or outdoors.
9. For the methods of suicide, 31.90/10 resort to intoxication followed hanging ( 21.9 %o ), Jumping burning(10.2 %) , 00 poisoning (6.1 % ), gunshot (3.9 %) or drown ing (2.9 % ), Corn-
pared by gender, while females were more likely to take such passive methods as intoxication or CO poisoning, males were more likely to take rather fatal methods such as hanging, burning, gunshot.
10. In relation to the general motives of suicide, data showed that economic poverty was the lead (20.9%a), followed by emotional conflict(19.2%), marital conflict(16.1%), demonstration (8.5 %), health problem (6.3%), school problems (5.8 %) , and job problems (5.6 %) .
Analyzed by age group, in case of 10´s adolescent conflicts such as school problems, scolding of parents or teachers, mockery, and frustration were the major motivations of their suicide, in the cases of 20´s hetero-sexual problems, jo´? and demonstration were their motivators. In cases of 30´s marital and legal problems were the motivators, economic problems in the age of 40´s, loss of objects in 50´s and health problems in 60´s were their major motivations of suicide.
11. Analyzed by subtypes of suicide in th- socio--psychological perspective, data showed that fatalistic suicide was the most frequent. 30.2´/), followed by gnomic suicide(29.4%), egoistic suicide(21:7%0;), altruistic suicide(11.2%).
P. Whereas in case of males altruistic and egoistic suicide were relatively more frequent, in case of females fatalistic and egoistic suicide were relatively more frc:cuent. Analyzed by age group, fatalistic suicide in the 60´s, anomic suicide in the 40´s, egoistic suicide in the 10´s adolescents and altruistic suicide in the 20´s were more frequent.
12. For the psychodynamic factors of suicide, data revealed that most cases were escape from de spair and loneliness (28.5 % ), followed by revenge toward the objects that hurt him orber(14.
i´ 8%), inferiority(12.7%), escape from a conflict´situation(11.4%), altruistic (7.8 %), self-punishment for guilt(6.8%), pessimism(3.9%),reunion fantasy(1.0%), and other(13.1%). Whereas the psychodynamic factors of males were altruistic and inferiority, those of females were despair and revenge. Ana´yzed by age group, in case of old age groups over 50´s, despair and loneliness were the m_: jor fcators, revenge in the 30´s and 40´s, altruistic in the 20´s, inferiority and escape from a conflict situation in the 10´s were more frequent psychodynamic factors.
3. With respect to the suicide risk rescue factors, data showed that as the helpers at the time of trying suicide, family members were the most(111 cases). Family members as helpers were more frequent in the case of females and in those of 10´s or 60´s. While passerbys were more frequent in the case of males and in those of 50´so For the suicide notes, 17.3% left the notes behind and those in their 60´s males were more likely to have a relatively higher rate of leaving notes behind.
14. In relation to the experience rate of the suicide risk factors, data demonstrated that 16.8% had a history of depression which comprised the highest rate, followed by all alcoholism histo-
i, ry(10.0% ), unemployment and retirement (7.1%recent d,;ath of intimates and separation (4.6%), health change(3.2%). Analyzed by gender and age groups, males were more likely
;. to have an alcoholism or depression history, those in their 40´s were more likly to have an
al- coholism history than those of any other age group cohorts.
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