title: Association between air pollution and suicide in South Korea: a nationwide study.
abstract: Suggestive associations of suicide with air pollutant concentrations have been reported. Recognizing regional and temporal variability of pollutant concentrations and of suicide, we undertook a detailed meta-analysis of completed suicides in relation to 5 major pollutants over 6 years in the 16 administrative regions of the Republic of Korea, while also controlling for other established influences on suicide rates. Of the 5 major pollutants examined, ozone concentrations had a powerful association with suicide rate, extending back to 4 weeks. Over the range of 2 standard deviations (SD) around the annual mean ozone concentration, the adjusted suicide rate increased by an estimated 7.8% of the annual mean rate. Particulate matter pollution also had a significant effect, strongest with a 4-week lag, equivalent to 3.6% of the annual mean rate over the same 2 SD range that approximated the half of annual observed range. These results strongly suggest deleterious effects of ozone and particulate matter pollution on the major public health problem of suicide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Youngdon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Woojae
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Myung
authors.affiliation: Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong-Hee
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sanghong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Junbae
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Pacific Behavioral Research Foundation, Carmel, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bernard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Doh Kwan
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants