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Suicide Risk in Relation to Social Class: A National Register-Based Study of Adult Suicides in Korea, 1999–2001

Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Cheju National University, #1 Ara-1 dong Jeju, jeju-do, 690–756, Korea. mdkim66{at}cheju.ac.kr

Seong-Chul Hong

Sang-Yi Lee

Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju, Korea.

Young-Sook Kwak

Chang-In Lee

Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju, Korea.

Seung-Wook Hwang

Department of Family Practice, College of Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju, Korea.

Tae-Kyun Shin

Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cheju National University, Jeju, Korea.

Seung-Min Lee

Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju, Korea.

Ji-Nam Shin

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju, Korea.

Background: Few controlled studies have examined social class as a risk factor for suicide in Korea.

Aim: The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of social class on suicide risk in Korea.

Methods: A case-control design was constructed from cause-of-death statistics for the period 1999 to 2001, in Korea, as published by the Korean National Statistical Office. The cases were defined as people aged between 20 and 64 who died by suicide, while the controls were defined as those who died of natural causes in the same age groups.

Results and conclusions: The proportions and odds ratios for suicide were higher in young people than in elderly people, and higher for divorced subjects than for cohabitants. They were also higher for residents of rural areas, as opposed to residents of Seoul and other metropolitan areas, and for people in social classes III and IV, than they were for those in social class I. To control the variables that influence risk of suicide, such as age, marital status and area of residence, we used multiple logistic regression. Compared with class I, risk of suicide was higher in social classes III and IV, in both sexes. The principal conclusion of this study is that, regardless of sex, lower social class constitutes a high risk for suicide in Korea, even after controlling for variables such as age, marital status and area of residence. We conclude that a well-controlled and balanced social welfare system could reduce suicide risk, especially among people in lower social class.

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