Community Psychiatry Approach to Suicide Prevention

Special Article

Psychiatry Investigation 2006;3(2):51-6.

Dong-Woo Lee, MD, PhD1;Min-Sook Kim, MD1; and Myung-Soo Lee, MD2;

¹;Department of Psychiatry, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2;Yong-in Mental Hospital, Yong-in city, Kyunggi-do, Korea

Abstract

<p class="MsoPlainText" style="word-spacing: 1; line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="left"><font face="HY중고딕" size="2">The suicide rate in Korea is increasing rapidly. Suicide has become a major public health problem in Korea. This article will review the essential elements required for the building of a cost-effective system for suicide prevention, as well as the currently existing services in Korea. Both a high-risk approach and a population approach are adjudged to be necessary for effective suicide prevention. Like any other community mental health problem, the problem of suicide can be most effectively managed when it is approached via a process of surveillance, risk factor analysis, intervention design and evaluation, and intervention implementation. In 2004, the Korean government has established a five-year plan for suicide prevention. Local governments, including the Seoul Municipal government, have recently implemented suicide prevention service programs. After reviewing the services currently in place in Korea, we will advance some suggestions regarding future tasks which may contribute to more effective suicide prevention.

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Key words Suicide;Prevention;Community mental health.