Citation

Kim S, You M. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(16): e2929.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph16162929

PMID

31443208

PMCID

PMC6719030

Abstract

This study examines the potential of delayed monthly bill payments as a predictor of suicidal behavior in South Korea with the highest suicide rate among developed countries. Using the Korea Welfare Panel Study, multivariable logistic regressions examined the association between suicide ideation/attempts and the frequency of late payments on utility bills or National Health Insurance premium during last three years. Confounding factors such as past depression and suicide ideation/attempts history were adjusted for. Among 10,988 individuals, 2.7% reported suicide ideation and 0.11% attempted suicide in the past year, while 7.1% reported they paid late once or more during the last three years. Adults with two or more delayed payment had 2.32 times increased odds of suicidal ideation and 10.99 times increased odds of suicide attempts, compared to having no late payments. Adjusting for other socio-economic characteristics rarely changed the relationship between late payments and suicide ideation/attempts (for suicidal ideation, OR = 2.11; for suicide attempts: OR = 7.44), suggesting the independent effect of late payments on suicide behavior. With these findings, it can be suggested that late payment is an important factor, preemptively signaling suicide behavior with serious consequences in health and life.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Risk Factors; Adult; Aged; Female; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Economics; Young Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted; suicidal ideation; suicide attempts; suicidal behavior; Republic of Korea; South Korea; Depressive Disorder; financial hardship; late payments