By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter


New anti-depression programs will be put in place to curb a surging number of suicides, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Monday.

Depression is believed to be the leading cause of suicide in Korea.

The programs are part of the government’s five-year plan reduce the number of suicides.

``The government has come up with the measures as 22.8 of every 100,000 people in South Korea committed suicide in 2004,’’ a ministry official said.

Although this number is the fourth largest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, South Korea recorded a 5.19 percent increase _ the highest recorded annual suicide increase rate.

The number of suicides in 1992 was 9.7 for every 100,000 people, but it rose about twofold to 19.13 in 2002.

The ministry aims to lower the number to 18.2 by the end of 2010.

It is also committed to decreasing the ratio of adults who contemplate suicide to 15.2 percent from the current 19 percent, and that of teenagers aged 12 to 19, to 18.9 percent from the current 23.6 percent.

According to a study, depression leads to about 80 percent of suicides, while 20 percent are committed on the spur of the moment. Thus, the ministry’s measures will focus on counseling and treating depression.

``The suicide prevention measures should differ according to age groups, as different age groups have different reasons for developing depression,’’ the official said.

For children and teenagers, bullying and violence at school, and learning disorders can be reasons for depression. The authority aims to establish a system to identify signs at an early stage and prevent students from developing depression.

The ministry will also provide a program that gives intensive counseling to children who have a high chance of developing depression. Previous suicide attempts or death and divorce of parents will also be considered.

For adults, programs will focus on preventing depression related to divorce, unemployment, poverty or alcoholism. A program for the elderly will help minimize their shock from a spouse’s death or chronic illnesses.

The government will also crack down on those providing suicide methods on the Internet and selling sleeping pills or poison. It also plans to intensify mental health treatment for those who have attempted to kill themselves before, and too offset mental health expenses for low-income earners.

``We also plan to designate a `day of depression awareness’ to raise public consciousness about the importance of detecting and treating depression at an early stage. We’ll try to create a culture respecting life and cooperate with civil sectors for suicide prevention,’’ the official said.

In 2003, about 100 people from politics, industry, religion and academia organized the Korea Association for Suicide Prevention to make joint efforts for suicide prevention.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr