The Association of Physical and Mental Illness and Self-Harm Resulting in Hospitalization: A Population-Based Study of Older Adults in South Korea

Sangmi Kim, Haesang Jeon and Joonhyeog Park
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Sangmi Kim: Department of Health Management, Jeonju University, Jeonju-si 55069, Korea
Haesang Jeon: Department of Social Welfare, Jeonju University, Jeonju-si 55069, Korea
Joonhyeog Park: Department of Social Welfare, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-10

Abstract: Self-harm injury among older adults is a pressing problem that demands social attention in South Korea. This study sought to identify the association between physical and mental illness and hospitalization following self-harm injuries, compared to non-self-harm injuries, among older adults living in Korea. We analyzed individuals aged 65 and older who were admitted to hospitals either for self-harm or non-self-harm from a population-based survey of the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey (KNHDIS). A logistic regression analysis was performed. Compared with non-self-harm-related hospitalization, self-harm hospitalization was associated with higher odds of depression, other disorders of the nervous system, malignancies, alcohol misuse and dependence, and drug-related dependence. Dementia, anxiety disorder, diabetes, arthritis, cerebral palsy, and other paralytic syndromes had a lower likelihood of leading to self-harm than non-self-harm hospitalization. The findings of this study can inform medical professionals to identify older adults with a heightened risk of self-harming behavior leading to hospitalization.

Keywords: self-harm; older adult; Korean; physical disease; mental disorder (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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