Recent statistics and risk factors of suicide in children and adolescents

Youth suicide is like the tip of an iceberg; while many adolescents have died from suicide, many more adolescents have been harmed by suicide attempts and self-injury. Suicide influences not only the victims, but also their family members, friends, teachers, and neighbors. Witnesses can suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents worldwide and the first cause of death among Korean adolescents. The number of suicides in Korea, especially among high school students and female students, is rapidly increasing when compared with Western countries. Suicide accounted for 28.2% of deaths among Korean adolescents in 2010. There were 4.44% and 18.97% of adolescents who had attempted suicide and had experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime, which shows that many adolescents have a potential risk for suicide. Previous studies in Western countries have revealed that risk factors for adolescent suicide consist of three categories: sociodemographic factors (male and low socioeconomic and educational status), mental health factors (depression and drug abuse), and individual negative life events and family diversity (family history of suicidal behavior, parental death, and child abuse). In conclusion, suicide is common and rapidly increasing in Korean adolescents. However, the risk factors of suicide and suicide behaviors in Korean adolescents are yet to be determined. A well-designed nationwide survey is needed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of suicide behaviors and mental disorders among Korean adolescents.

National Evidence-based Collaborating Agency (NECA) Round-table Conference Consensus Statement: multidisciplinary responses to suicide, the first ranked cause of death in adolescents

The National Evidence-based Collaborating Agency (NECA) holds the NECA Round-table Conference that not only disseminates objective and systematic information on topics of social concern in public health care but also organizes discussions on core issues under dispute in the literature through panels composed of multidisciplinary experts. Accordingly, the Round-table Conference was composed of multidisciplinary experts including medical specialists in the areas of psychiatry and preventive medicine, psychiatric and mental health nursing, psychologists, social welfare experts, consultation experts, religious leaders, and government officials from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and Ministry of Health and Welfare. The Round-table Conference, tasked with analysis of the actual status and causes of, and search for solutions for suicide in adolescents, has reached consensus on the current status, trend, risk factors and prevention factors, problems and issues in prevention and coping strategies, effective prevention and coping strategies and areas of research needed for the future. The Round-table Conference commented on the actual status and gravity of suicides in adolescents, and came to the agreement that mental health issues including stress from interpersonal relationships and depression are the key risk factors of suicide. It was further agreed that problems in the measures being implemented for each of the areas include lack of manpower and funding, and inadequate organic association and cooperation among relevant institutions. They also agreed that development of a government-initiated suicide prevention program for adolescents, association among relevant experts, and development, and management of practical guidelines that are of broad and practical use are important. Furthermore, the panels were in agreement that the mass media must comply with the recommended level of coverage in reporting of suicide as adolescents are greatly influenced by provocative mass media reports due to their strong impulsive dispositions.