Paper published in Health and Social Welfare Review, a journal of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs

- Researchers urge improvements to neighborhood environments and residential stability support in underdeveloped areas

A staged photo illustrating cyberbullying among youth. This image is unrelated to any specific incident and was produced for illustrative purposes only. [Korea Herald DB]
A staged photo illustrating cyberbullying among youth. This image is unrelated to any specific incident and was produced for illustrative purposes only. [Korea Herald DB]

Youth suicide rates are closely tied to local residential environments, with areas where housing prices are higher showing relatively lower rates, according to new research suggesting that housing stability and neighborhood conditions are linked to adolescent mental health.

The researchers recommended policies tailored to local conditions — including improving living environments and providing residential stability support for households with teenage children — as measures to help prevent youth suicide.

A paper published Saturday in Health and Social Welfare Review, an academic journal of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, found that local housing prices, the proportion of small housing units, and residential floor area all showed an inverse relationship with youth suicide rates. The paper was titled "The Effect of Regional Environment on Adolescent Suicide: Focusing on Residential Environment and Commercial Area Characteristics."

An inverse relationship means that as one variable rises, the other tends to fall.

Lead researcher Lee Jin-hee, a research fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, and colleagues analyzed youth suicide mortality data from 2013 to 2022 across 229 cities, counties and districts nationwide, ultimately focusing on 215 areas after excluding 14 that recorded no youth suicide deaths during the period.

The youth suicide rate was calculated by converting the number of youth suicide deaths recorded between 2013 and 2022 into a figure per 100,000 adolescents.

As a result, the average youth suicide rate stood at 41.37 per 100,000. Regional figures ranged from a low of 6.13 to a high of 162.7 — a gap of roughly 26.5 times.

The researchers did not disclose the names of specific areas. They compared youth suicide rates and residential environment characteristics across regions to identify which factors were associated with adolescent suicide.

The findings showed that housing prices had an inverse relationship with youth suicide rates — meaning areas with higher housing prices recorded lower rates.

Residential floor area and the proportion of small housing units also showed inverse relationships with youth suicide rates.

"The higher the housing price, the more likely an area is to offer a relatively favorable neighborhood environment," the researchers said. "If this can reduce youth suicide, improving conditions in relatively underdeveloped areas must come first."

They also said that larger residential floor area "is advantageous for securing physical privacy among family members and ensuring residential comfort," adding that it is "effective in preventing family conflict and removing factors that disrupt adolescents' psychological rest."

On the proportion of small housing units, the researchers said a higher share "means housing is relatively easier to secure, indicating greater residential stability."

"This study reaffirmed the importance of a stable socioeconomic environment and well-organized communities for preventing youth suicide," the researchers said.

They went on to say that providing adolescents with a better residential environment requires expanding facilities near schools and along commuting routes for young people who lack personal space. They also urged the creation of clean, safe streets with sufficient closed-circuit television cameras and streetlights.

The researchers particularly noted that areas with lower housing prices "often lack public spaces such as libraries, parks and youth centers," and advised that in areas where homes are small and asset values are low, authorities should consider intensively expanding shared living-room-style spaces where adolescents can stay safely outside the home.

Alongside this, the researchers said housing policies targeting families with teenage children are needed — including raising floor-area standards to ensure adolescents have space for psychological independence and expanding the supply of public rental housing that meets those standards.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com