The issues and challenges of suicide prevention program

   As of 2011, the suicide rate estimated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for South Korea stands at 33.3 people per every 100,000, ranking the nation with the highest suicide rate among 34 OECD member countries. This rate is approximately 2.7 times the OECD average. In 2012 alone 14,160 people ended their own lives,  which translates into a daily average of 38.8 people and one person every 37 minutes committing suicide.

   In 2004, the Korean government launched a ten-year program to lower the nation’s suicide rate. Of the program’s core elements, the Basic Scheme for the Prevention of Suicides (established in September, 2004) and The Second Phase of a Comprehensive Plan for Preventing Suicides (established in December, 2008) are most notable. The budget directly allocated to the program increased 8.5-fold over the course of five years from 560 million Korean Won in 2009 to 4 billion 810 million Won in 2013. These figures demonstrate legitimate – albeit  small scale – attempt on the part of central government to reduce the number of suicides , but the results were dismal with the nation’s suicide rate still ranking topmost among OECD member countries. This paper seeks to identify the issues facing programs for suicide prevention and discuss possible measures for resolving said issues.

   Above all, a closer look at suicides taking place show that: a) there has been a dramatic increase in suicides across various age brackets; b) the suicide rate of senior citizens remains persistently high; c) a significant share of those committing suicide are in their 40s or 50s and d) there has been a rapid increase in the suicide rate of those in their twenties and thirties. Given that Statistics Korea’s has shown that the impulse driving an individual to commit suicide varies greatly across different age groups, it is important to note that programs to prevent suicides would have to be differentiated by the target age group.

   An analysis of the current status of suicide prevention programs shows that program budgets are  extremely limited and thus put a strain on carrying out effective programs. A closer look at the situation by the National Assembly Budget Office shows that the annual social cost of suicide is a minimum of 1 trillion Won and could be as high as 3 trillion Won. Meanwhile the budget allocated for suicide prevention programs in 2013 is a mere 4.8 billion Won, or 0.06% of the 8.5203 trillion Won budget for healthcare.  Between 2009 and 2013, a total of 10 billion Won was funneled into suicide prevention programs. This is about 26.7% of the original budget set forth for the period from 2009 to 2013 in The Second Phase of a Comprehensive Plan for Preventing Suicides, further demonstrating that financial investment in the government’s program to prevent suicides is sluggish at best.

   Further analysis has revealed a lack of cooperation between government agencies as well as between national and local governments, and insufficient usage of private sector resources (such as psychotherapy , counseling or medical services).  In a survey conducted by the National Assembly Budget Office, working-level officers in charge of providing counseling services or suicide prevention services rated the cooperation between government agencies and between national and local governments as less than satisfactory, and government support for the usage of private sector resources as low. Of the 110.4 billion Won annual budget directly and indirectly earmarked for suicide prevention programs in 2013, a mere 400 million Won has been verified as having been allocated for ‘suicide prevention programs jointly implemented by the public and private sectors.’

   It has also come to light that so-called mental health promotion centers have been established without any consideration given to the risk of potential suicides or the mental health situation of the region in question. Mental health promotion centers, established under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, are meant to serve as the central delivery channel for all government agency suicide prevention programs. However, as of end of June, 2012, the rate at which these centers are established and operated remains at 50.0% for provincial governments and 56.5% for local primary governments. The reason for this can be attributed to the fact that the budget for the establishment and operation of these centers are only partially subsidized by the national government, and hence the centers cannot be operated in earnest until the national government’s subsidies are matched by those from local and regional governments. As a result, as of 2011 the average suicide rate of 61 local communities in which mental health promotion centers are not established stands at 45.2 people per 100,000, which is 13.5 people more than the national average of 31.7 per 100,000.

   Going forward, the government, over the short term, will have to aggressively implement suicide prevention programs by making the most of existing social welfare programs such as those under the banners of  “emergency welfare” or “local community service investment.” Meanwhile, priority must be given to developing more efficient measures to secure sufficient budgetary resources in order to run suicide prevention programs. Also, local communities whose suicide rate or mental illness prevalence rate identify  them  as being in need of urgent support,  including a prompt establishment of a mental health promotion center, should be given priority when allocating the national budget. A collaborative network between different government agencies, as well as between the national government and local governments, and a more efficient communication channel between these bodies should also be reinforced. Information on private organizations in each local community, such as counseling centers should also be promoted so as to encourage tapping into private sector resources.