Epidemiologic characteristics of intentional poisoning in Korea—a retrospective analysis of the EDIIS database (2011–2020)

Background: Suicide remains a significant public health issue globally, including in South Korea. To devise effective prevention strategies, analyzing trends among individuals who have attempted suicide is essential. This study aimed to assess the epidemiologic characteristics of suicide attempts through intentional poisoning using data from 23 hospital emergency departments (EDs) across Korea. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the Emergency Department-Based Injury In-depth Surveillance (EDIIS) database over a 10-year period (2011–2020). The cases were selected based on intentional self-harm or suicide as the cause of injury and poisoning as the mechanism. Results: During the study period, 45,936 cases of intentional poisoning were identified, with 61.7% of cases being females. The mortality rate among males was 6.7%, significantly higher than the 2.1% observed in females, representing a 3.2-fold difference. Analysis of previous EDIIS data (2011–2015) indicated that suicide attempts were most frequent among females aged 40 years or older. However, the current analysis, which extended the study period to 2011–2020, demonstrated a notable increase in poisoning-related suicide attempts among females in their 20s. The substances most frequently involved in poisoning incidents differed by gender. Among males, pesticides accounted for 30.2% of cases, whereas sedative-hypnotics were the most common agents among females, comprising 36.0% of cases. Despite this variation, pesticides were the leading cause of death in both genders, contributing to 71.1% of male fatalities and 57.1% of female fatalities. Psychiatric disorders were identified as the predominant underlying cause of suicide attempts, followed by interpersonal conflicts involving family or friends. Conclusions: These findings indicate a gradual increase in the incidence of suicide attempts in the EDs of South Korea, indicating the importance of implementing patient-centered treatment strategies and developing preventive systems specifically tailored to gender and age-related factors.