The recent trend in youth suicide and its associated factors in South Korea: a time series analysis.

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death amongst youth, and suicide rates amongst young people have increased in South Korea in recent years. This study examined long-term trends in youth suicide and their associations with changes in a broad range of potential risk factors. Methods: Suicide data (1983-2024) for individuals aged 10-24 years were obtained from Statistics Korea. We used joinpoint regression analysis to investigate recent changes in trends in youth suicide and compared them with those for a range of potential risk factors, including socioeconomic factors, internet-related factors, academic-related factors, mental health, and suicide behaviours. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between year-on-year changes in youth suicide rates and potential risk factors. Findings: In South Korea, suicide rates in youth aged 10-24 years fluctuated over the study period but showed an upward trend in 2014 and reached the highest rates of 12.44 per 100,000 in 2021, with a 5.61% (95% confidence intervals: 3.91, 8.75) annual increase in 2014-2024. The recent rise in youth suicide rates was accompanied by an upward trend in the family violence rates, the prevalence of school bullying, participation rates and average hours spent in private supplementary tutoring, the prevalence of diagnosed mood disorders and self-reported suicidal ideation, and the rates of self-harm/suicide attempt presenting to hospitals, as well as a downward trend in the prevalence of good subjective health in youth. Regression analyses showed that time spent on internet use, participation and time spent in private supplementary tutoring, the prevalence of diagnosed mood disorders, and emergency department presentation rates for self-harm/suicide attempt were positively associated with youth suicide rates, whilst good subjective health was negatively associated. Meanwhile, poverty rates were negatively associated with youth suicide rates. Interpretation: Youth suicide rates increased in South Korea from the mid-2010s, and this increase could be influenced by a concurrent rise in internet use time, academic pressure, mental health problems, and self-harm/suicidal behaviour. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these associations. Funding: National Science and Technology Council and Ministry of Education in Taiwan.