Half of Emergency Room Visits Due to Extreme Attempts Are Ages 10-20... Mental Health 'Red Alert'

40,268 Suicide and Self-Harm Attempts in 2022
46% of Them Are Aged 10-29
Impact of COVID-19 on Social Isolation and Employment Difficulties

More than 43,000 people attempt suicide or self-harm and visit emergency rooms annually, with nearly half of them being in their teens and twenties.

According to the recently published "2021-2022 Emergency Room Visits for Self-Harm and Suicide Attempts" report by the National Medical Center and the Central Emergency Medical Center on the 3rd, out of 7,694,472 emergency room visits nationwide in 2022, 43,268 cases (15,675 males and 27,593 females) involved suicide or self-harm attempts. This means that 0.56% of all emergency room visits were due to individuals harming themselves or attempting extreme measures.

The number of suicide and self-harm attempts exceeded 40,000 in 2019 with 42,968 cases, increased to 40,828 in 2020, and 43,674 in 2021, before slightly decreasing in 2022. In 2022, the rate of suicide and self-harm attempts was 84.4 cases per 100,000 people. Males accounted for 61.4 cases, while females had 107.3 cases per 100,000, showing a higher rate among females. By age group, those in their 20s had 12,432 cases, teenagers had 7,540 cases, and those in their 30s had 6,071 cases. The 10-20 age group accounted for 46% of all attempts. When viewed per 100,000 population, the rates were 190.8 for people in their 20s, 160.5 for teenagers, and 91.5 for those in their 30s.

Notably, suicide and self-harm attempts among teenagers and people in their 20s have surged sharply in recent years. The rate among teenagers increased by 68.9% over five years, from 95.0 cases per 100,000 in 2018 to 160.5 in 2022. For those in their 20s, the rate rose by 49.5%, from 127.6 to 190.8 cases per 100,000 during the same period. These increases far exceed the overall 11.8% rise in suicide and self-harm attempts. It is analyzed that the youth population has experienced significant mental health difficulties due to social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and severe employment challenges amid economic downturns.

By gender, males aged 80 and above had the highest rate at 125.9 cases per 100,000, followed by those in their 20s with 105.4, teenagers with 69.1, and those in their 30s with 65.0. In contrast, females in their 20s had the highest rate at 284.8 cases per 100,000, followed by teenagers at 257.8, those in their 30s at 119.9, and those in their 40s at 86.3. Regarding the condition of those attempting suicide or self-harm, poisoning (such as drug overdose), cuts or stabs, and suffocation were the most common. Poisoning was the leading cause across all age groups.

※ If you or someone around you is experiencing difficult feelings such as depression or other hard-to-talk-about problems, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎1393, Mental Health Counseling Hotline ☎1577-0199, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, Youth Hotline ☎1388, the youth mobile counseling app 'Da Deureojul Gae,' KakaoTalk, and other channels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.