Speaker
Description
Title: Beyond Income: Transitions in Material Hardship and Suicidal Behaviour Risk in Korea
Authors: Soohyun Kang, PhD1), Selin Kim, MPH2), Eun‑Cheol Park, MD, PhD3)
Affiliations:
1) National Health Insurance Services Ilsan Hospital,
2) Health Insurance Review&Assessment Service, Wonju, Korea,
3) Yonsei University College of Medicine
Presenter: Soohyun Kang
Contact details: ksh.copo@gmail.com, +82-10-4020-0362
Corresponding author: Eun‑Cheol Park(ecpark@yuhs.ac)
Main text(277 words)
Background: Material hardship (MH)—encompassing difficulties with food, housing, paying utility bills, medical care, finances, and education—is a multidimensional socio-economic indicator to identify the struggles that low-income households encounter. This study aimed to examine MH’s effect on suicidal behaviour among South Korea’s adult population.
Methods: We used wave 7 to 12 (2012-2017) panel data collected by the Korea Welfare Panel Study, and the total number of baseline participants were 9,736. Based on year‑to‑year changes in MH responses, participants were classified into four transition groups: No→No, No→Yes, Yes→No, and Yes→Yes. Suicidal behaviour was measured using questionnaires about suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt in the past year. The association between these MH transitions and suicidal behaviour was analysed with generalised estimating equation models, reporting exponentiated β‑coefficients (exp [β]).
Result: Males who continually experienced MH had a higher risk of suicidal behaviour [exp(β), 2.72; 95% Confidential incidence (CI), 2.05–3.61] than those who never experienced MH. The male MH No→Yes and Yes→No groups were also significantly associated. Among female participants, those who recently experienced MH had the highest risk [exp(β), 2.62; 95% CI, 2.12–3.24]. Males who had continually or newly experienced financial hardship had a significantly increased risk, while food and housing hardships posed a significant risk among females.
Discussion: Transitions into—and persistence of—material hardship is markedly associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour, with gender‑specific hardship domains. Suicide‑prevention programmes in Korea, which now target mainly older adults and the low‑income bracket, should broaden outreach by using local indicators of hardship—such as arrears in utility or phone bills, residence in substandard housing, and households receiving child‑meal vouchers—to identify and engage at‑risk residents more effectively.
Other Information
Conflict of Interest: Nothing to declare.
| Conflict of interest | Nothing to declare |
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