"Statistics Have Improved, but" Many People Still Face a High Risk of Suicide [Health Talk]

[Financial News] "An improvement in the statistics does not mean that the risk of suicide has disappeared."
Lee Jun-hee, a professor of psychiatry at The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, emphasized that vigilance toward high-risk groups remains necessary despite the recent decline in suicide deaths.
September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). Provisional figures from the Ministry of Data and Statistics show that 1,071 people died by suicide in May this year, down 10.8% from the same month a year earlier. The number of suicide deaths in the first half of this year also fell by 910, or 12.7%, to 6,278 from the same period last year.
Professor Lee said, "The recent economic recovery and national attention and policies focused on suicide prevention may have contributed to the decline in suicides, but there are still individuals and groups at high risk of suicide. If stressors such as financial difficulties, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and sudden changes in living conditions are added, mental-health crises can worsen at any time among these high-risk groups."

People often think of depression as the cause of suicide. In fact, depression is one of the major risk factors for suicide, and recurrent suicidal thoughts are included among its diagnostic criteria.
Professor Lee explained, "In addition to suicidal thoughts, if changes in sleep or eating patterns, loss of pleasure, reduced concentration, or a sense of helplessness appear and difficulties arise in academic, work, or family life, a medical evaluation is necessary."
According to Professor Lee, suicide risk factors extend beyond depression. Bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, insomnia, substance use including alcohol, traumatic experiences, chronic pain, physical illnesses, and sudden loss can all contribute. This underscores the need for broad attention to the various risk factors for suicide.
Another issue that must be addressed is the prejudice equating mental illnesses such as depression with dangerousness and violence.
Professor Lee said, "Some people with depression may experience self-harm and suicidal urges along with helplessness, guilt, anxiety, and self-blame, but depression itself rarely leads to violence or harm against others. People with depression are generally so lethargic and lacking in energy that, although they may harm themselves, it is uncommon for them to be violent enough to harm others."

He added, "The prejudice equating mental illness with dangerousness causes patients to delay treatment and makes it difficult for people around them to ask for or recommend help. Mental-health problems are medical conditions that can be assessed and treated, not matters of willpower. Rather than hiding symptoms or enduring them alone, consulting a professional early is far more important for recovery and crisis prevention."

Experts advise that a situation should be treated as a crisis when thoughts of suicide become specific or a person feels unable to control them. Professor Lee said, "Do not endure it alone. Immediately tell a psychiatrist, a nearby mental-health welfare center, or a trusted family member or acquaintance. If someone around you says, 'I want to die' or 'There is no reason to live,' do not dismiss it. It is important to listen without judgment and stay with the person to connect them with the help they need."
Suicide Prevention Hotline 109 and Madelan, a suicide-prevention counseling service on social media, are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If your own life or someone else's life is in immediate danger, call the 119 emergency number or visit the nearest emergency room.
Professor Lee said, "Suicide prevention begins not with grand slogans, but with recognizing warning signs and connecting one person to a system of treatment and care." 


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