Around one of ten senior citizens in South Korea have entertained thoughts about suicide in the past year alone.
According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), the survey covered 853 people, all aged 65 and over. Of the entire sample set involved, 10.3 per cent of the respondents admitted that they had felt an impulse to take their own lives at some point during the last year.
As Asia News reports, the survey also found that a slightly higher 11.4 percent of people aged over 75 have contemplated taking their own lives.
On a scale from one to 10, with 10 representing the most anxious state, the average anxiety level experienced by the respondents stood at 5.4. Among the causes that triggered anxiety, health issues were the at the top of the list, with a score of 6.46. This was followed by financial problems, with a score of 6.38 and other psychological issues with a total of 5.9.
When asked about how they take care of these triggers, over 30 per cent of the respondents confessed that they either rest or go sleep in an attempt to resolve such issues.
The survey also found that elderly people in the low-income bracket contemplated suicide more often than senior citizens with higher levels of income.
Chae Soo-mi, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, explained: "Anxiety and psychological health of the elderly are directly related to various social ills. It is time to roll out various measures to take care of the mental health of the elderly people."
Another related survey by Statistics Korea, conducted in 2011, revealed that suicide was the leading cause of death among South Koreans aged between 15 and 24. The suicide rate per 100,000 in that age group was 13. Back in 2001, the corresponding figure stood at only 7.7.