A brief report of the economic burden and epidemiological finding of suicide attempts among the older adults in Korea from 2007 to 2021.

Abstract

Aim: Quantifying the increased personal and social losses following suicide attempts among the aging population presents a significant challenge. There is an urgent need to determine the economic burden of suicide attempts among older adults in Korea.

Subjects and methods: The economic burden of suicide attempts from 2007 to 2021 was assessed using claim data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment and Causes of Death Statistics in Korea. The analysis focused on individuals diagnosed with injuries, poisoning, and other consequences of external causes (S00-T98), intentional self-harm (X60-X84), sequelae of intentional self-harm (Y87.0), and personal history of self-harm (Z91.5). Economic impacts were analyzed by year, primary and secondary diagnoses in claim data, and Cause of Death Statistics.

Results: The mean age of study participants was 72.86 years, with women accounting for 48.4% of the sample. The total cost of suicide attempts increased dramatically from $0.167 million in 2007 to $1.591 million in 2021. The most frequently observed ICD-10 codes associated with these attempts were toxic effects of substances chiefly nonmedicinal as to source (T51-T65), followed by poisoning by drugs, medicaments, and biological substances(T36-T50) for both genders. While the total number of suicidal attempts generally increased annually, there were declines noted in 2020 and 2021.

Conclusion: This study informs the high level of economic costs of suicide attempts that were being neglected. By thoroughly understanding demographic characteristics, emerging trends, and cost classifications, policymakers can devise more effective strategies to prevent suicide attempts, provide timely support, and mitigate the associated economic and social burdens.