A senior citizen walks down a street. - Photo: Yonhap
SEOUL: An average of nearly 10 older South Koreans died by suicide every day between 2019 and 2023, according to a sobering new report that underscores the growing mental health crisis among the country’s aging population.
In total, 18,044 seniors aged 65 and older took their own lives during that five-year period, amounting to over 3,000 deaths each year, the report said.
The findings, published in the Journal of the Korean Medical Association and authored by Dr Oh Dae-jong of the Workplace Mental Health Institute at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, point to the urgent need for improved suicide prevention efforts targeting vulnerable seniors in South Korea.
In 2023 alone, the suicide mortality rate — the number of deaths per 100,000 people —stood at 40.6 among seniors, 45 percent higher than the rate of 28 observed among people aged 15 to 64.
"Older adults are less likely than younger people to seek psychiatric help before attempting suicide, and many take their own lives after only one or a few attempts, making early identification of high-risk seniors important," Oh wrote in the report.
Depression in older adults is often driven by factors such as the loss of a spouse, financial stress, loneliness, family conflict as well as a lingering sense of guilt over being a burden on their families — all of which can deepen suicidal thoughts.
Alongside mental health conditions, chronic physical illnesses are also major contributors to suicide among older adults. The risk of suicide rises significantly in the period shortly after a diagnosis.
Compared to younger people, older adults tend to use more fatal means of suicide, such as ingesting pesticides or hanging, making survival much less likely.
“It is essential to have trained gatekeepers across the medical field who can identify and respond to early verbal, emotional and behavioural warning signs in older adults at risk of suicide. Effective suicide prevention requires a comprehensive, collaborative strategy between health professionals and the community," the report stressed.
Meanwhile, the country's senior population surpassed the 10 million mark for the first time last November, reaching 10.12 million, an increase of 513,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
Older adults now account for 19.5 percent of the total population of 51.81 million, up from 18.6 percent the previous year, indicating that some 1 in 5 Koreans are now 65 or older. - The Korea Herald/ANN
***Those contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935/ 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999/ 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s family, social and community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); or Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929/email sam@befrienders.org.my/visit www.befrienders.org.my/centre- in-malaysia).
