Self-harm injury among older adults is a pressing problem that demands social attention in South Korea. This study sought to identify the association between physical and mental illness and hospitalization following self-harm injuries, compared to non-self-harm injuries, among older adults living in Korea. We analyzed individuals aged 65 and older who were admitted to hospitals either for self-harm or non-self-harm from a population-based survey of the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey (KNHDIS). A logistic regression analysis was performed. Compared with non-self-harm-related hospitalization, self-harm hospitalization was associated with higher odds of depression, other disorders of the nervous system, malignancies, alcohol misuse and dependence, and drug-related dependence. Dementia, anxiety disorder, diabetes, arthritis, cerebral palsy, and other paralytic syndromes had a lower likelihood of leading to self-harm than non-self-harm hospitalization. The findings of this study can inform medical professionals to identify older adults with a heightened risk of self-harming behavior leading to hospitalization.

Elder abuse is a pressing problem that demands social attention in South Korea. This study aims to examine the characteristics of older adults and their family perpetrators that may influence the perceived severity of abuse by older adults using a nationally representative sample among older Koreans. We analyzed 952 community-dwelling older Koreans from a population-based survey of the Survey of Elderly Care and Welfare Need. The analytic sample of this study consisted of older adults who self-reported having been emotionally, physically, and financially abused or neglected by their family members or other primary caregivers. We used multinomial logistic regression models to predict perceived change in severity of abuse. Results showed that the abuse type and duration of abuse were significantly associated with the perceived change in the severity of abuse. Older victims’ age, being female, and being married were also associated with greater risk for increased severity of abuse relative to no change, while older adults’ better health status was associated with lower risk for increased severity of abuse. The findings of this study can help social work professionals identify older adults with heightened risk of abuse and protect the human rights of the most vulnerable aging population.