1 in 7 young adults who attempt suicide/self-harm revisit ER within two months: study

A study has found that one in seven young people aged 10 to 20 who visited the emergency room for suicide or self-harm attempts revisited the hospital within two months.

According to medical sources on the 25th, a joint research team including Professor Kim Tae-han of the Emergency Medicine Department at Seoul Boramae Hospital analyzed 1,445 adolescents and young adults under 24 who visited emergency rooms in Seoul for suicide attempts or self-harm between 2015 and 2022.

During this period, a total of 4,452 patients visited the emergency room for suicide attempts or self-harm. Of these, 32.5% (1,445 individuals), or about one in three, were adolescents and young adults under 24.

Among those under 24 who visited the emergency room for suicide attempts or self-harm, 1,090 (75.4%) were female. A significant majority, 79.4%, were discharged after emergency treatment and returned home.

Cases requiring additional treatment, such as hospitalization in a general ward or intensive care unit, or transfer to another hospital due to suicide attempts or self-harm, accounted for 126 individuals (8.7%) of the total. The likelihood of such severe medical outcomes was higher when the suicide attempt and self-harm were planned in advance or when methods with high lethality were chosen.

Among these, 102 individuals (7.1%) revisited the emergency room within 60 days due to suicide attempts or self-harm.

The risk of revisiting the emergency room due to suicide attempts and self-harm was 1.93 times higher for women compared to men, and 1.57 times higher for those living alone.

Individuals with a history of psychiatric treatment had a 2.41 times higher risk of short-term emergency room revisits due to suicide attempts and self-harm. Those with a previous history of suicide attempts and self-harm also faced a 1.54 times higher risk.

The rate of short-term emergency room revisits was highest among those under 24. For other age groups during the same period, the rates were 5.8% for those aged 25-40, 4.8% for those aged 41-60, and 2.3% for those aged 61 and above.

The research team stated, "It has been confirmed that adolescents and young adults, and among them, women and socially isolated individuals, have a high risk of repeating suicide attempts and self-harm." They added, "Appropriate interventions tailored to the characteristics of these age groups are necessary."

The research findings were published in the Korean Journal of Medical Science (JKMS).