Precarious Suicide Behavior According to Housing Price Gap: A Case Study on South Korea

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 18; p. 9877
• Main Authors: Kang, Sungik, Woo, Hosung, Koo, Ja-Hoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 19.09.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Age groups; Correlation; GDP; Gross Domestic Product; High income; Housing; Housing prices; Impact analysis; Impulses; Income inequality; Industrialized nations; Males; Mental health; Personal health; Social capital; Socioeconomic factors; Suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; Urban areas; New Zealand; England; South Korea; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Wales
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189877

In 2018, the suicide rate in South Korea was the highest among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, and socioeconomic inequality has intensified. This study analyzes the impact relationship between suicidal impulses and economic inequality in South Korea. This study measures suicidal impulses thoughts National Health Survey Data and economic inequality based on the housing prices gap in the country. The primary analysis results were as follows: First, suicidal impulses were positively associated with the high index of housing price inequality; this correlation has become tight in recent years. Second, it was confirmed that the higher the income level, the higher the correlation between suicidal impulses with the index of housing price inequality. Third, the correlation between housing price inequality with suicidal impulse increased consistently in highly urbanized areas, but the statistical significance was low in non-urban areas.