Suicide methods among adolescents and adults in Korea, 1997-2021: an issue of accessibility and awareness

Although the prevalence and lethality of suicide methods have been extensively studied, most previous studies focused on a limited range of methods. Given the sociocultural specificity of suicides, comprehensive analyses of method-specific trends are needed to inform effective prevention strategies. This study aimed to analyse suicide methods in Korea by sex and age from 1997 to 2021.

We analysed cause-of-death statistics from Statistics Korea from 1997 to 2021. Method-specific suicide rates were categorised by sex and age.

The suicide rate nearly doubled between 1997 and 2021. Hanging remained the most common method. Suicides involving gases and vapours increased by 5477.7%, and those involving drugs by 2605.7%. In contrast, suicides involving pesticides decreased by half. As of 2021, falls were the second most common method, except among adult males aged 20 to 64, for whom gases and vapours ranked second. Among adolescents, falls were the leading method.

The decline in pesticide-related suicides demonstrates the effectiveness of paraquat restrictions. In contrast, the dramatic rise in suicides involving gases and vapours suggests the influence of media reporting. The increase in drug-related suicides may be attributed to greater availability and access to psychiatric medications. The high rate of suicides by falls among adolescents likely reflects the higher impulsivity of this age group. In addition, the rise in adolescent suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates the adverse mental health effects of reduced peer interactions and school engagement.