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KMID : 1023720090460010157
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Journal of Welfare for the Aged
2009 Volume.46 No. 1 p.157 ~ p.171
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A Study on Familial Joint Suicides among Older Persons: centering around homicide-suicides
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Kim Hyoung-Soo
Kim Sang-Ho
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Abstract
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The objectives of this study are to identify the characteristics and the patterns of homicide-suicides among Korean elder’s family, to form the theoretical point of views, and further to suggest the relevant policy issues based on the research findings. For the purpose, literature survey and contents analysis are utilized. Specifically, the suicide literatures are examined and then a total of 26 familial homicide-suicides involving persons age 60 years and older are ascertained in Korea between 1995 and 2007 from daily newspapers and broadcastings. According to the results of this study, the homicide-suicides of the elderly’s family are, rather than any single factor, caused by several factors working in combination. The factors include their own poor health and economic conditions, caring-burden of the sick spouses, the feelings of indebtedness to their adult children and so on. In our society, the elderly’s homicide-suicides originally starting from their family unit are frequently occurred to solve their own and familial difficulties. In this sense, the elderly’s familial homicide-suicides could be understood as the ’family-oriented egoistic suicide’ or ’family-oriented altruistic suicide’. Main policy measures for familial joint suicides in older persons should be targeted for the frail and the poor elders and their family members caring for those who have suffered especially dementia, strokes and other severe disabilities. In conclusion, the study suggests some policy issues in respects of both family welfare and mental health to prevent and then reduce the lethal events among the elderly’s family members.
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KEYWORD
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elderly, familial joint suicide, homicide-suicide, policy measures
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