Socioeconomic Factors, Alcohol Use Disorder and the Primary Cause of Suicide: Evidence from the Korean National Investigations of Suicide Victims through Police Records

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study investigated the relationship between the socioeconomic factors of region, economic participation, and income and the primary cause of suicide among adults, and the moderating role of alcohol use disorder. Using data from the Korean National Investigations of Suicide Victims Through Police Records, this study analyzed 3,310 suicide cases with multinomial logistic regression. Regarding the primary driver of suicide, women were more likely than men to identify mental health problems, while older adults were more likely to identify physical health problems. Economically active individuals were more likely to identify economic or familial problems than mental health issues, while those in the high-income group were more likely than those in the low-income group to identify mental health problems over economic problems. Urban residents with alcohol use disorder had a higher likelihood of experiencing mental health problems. However, alcohol use disorder did not significantly moderate the relationship between the primary cause of suicide and economic participation or income level. Tailored interventions are essential, including mental health support for younger adults, physical health assistance for older adults, and alcohol abuse prevention for urban residents.