노동자 자살사망자의 특성에 관한 연구: 2010-2016년 산재신청자료를 이용하여

Abstract

연구목적: 이 연구는 노동자 자살사망자의 일반적 특성, 개인적 스트레스, 업무스트레스 등을 파악하고, 자살사망의 산재승인 군과 불승인 군의 특성을 비교하여 산업재해보상보험의 승인 근거를 확인했다. 또한 노동자 자살사망자의 하위 유형을 분류하여 각 유형별 특성을 비교했다.

연구방법: 2010~2016년에 근로복지공단에 청구된 노동자 자살사망자 292명의 산업재해보상보험 신청자료를 이용하여 인구통계학적 정보, 근로기본 정보, 근무형태, 건강행태, 의료정보, 자살관련 정보, 산재신청 정보, 개인적 스트레스, 업무스트레스의 변수를 추출했다. 산재승인 군과 불승인 각 군의 특성을 비교하고, 2단계 군집분석 수행하여 노동자 자살사망자의 하위 유형을 분류하고 각 유형별 특성을 비교·분석했다.

연구결과: 노동자 자살사망자의 일반적인 특성은 대부분 30~40대의 대졸 학력의 기혼 남성으로 정규직과 상용직으로 근무했다. 제조업 종사자와 관리자, 전문가 직종의 비율이 높았다. 근무 기간은 약 10.4년, 1주 근무시간은 49.7시간이었다. 정신질환/심리치료와 정신질환 약물복용 이력은 각각 56.1%, 55.9%였고, 정신질환 진단명은 우울장애가 가장 많았다. 자살 1달 전 의료기관 방문 비율은 61.6%였고 이 중 정신질환으로 방문한 비율이 가장 높았다. 개인적 스트레스는 ‘개인적 채무’(20.8%)와 ‘개인적 경제적 문제’(16.9%)가 높았다. 업무스트레스 중 ‘업무의 실패 및 과중한 책임의 발생’, ‘업무의 양과 질’, ‘조직의 문화’ 범주에 속하는 변수의 비율이 높았는데, ‘높은 심리적 요구도’(54.7%)와 ‘책임이 많은 업무’(54.1%)가 가장 높았다. 산재승인 군과 불승인 군의 특성을 비교해본 결과, 승인 군은 불승인 군 보다 전반적으로 정규직과 상용직이 많았고, ‘업무의 양과 질’, ‘업무의 실패 및 과중한 책임의 변화’, ‘조직의 문화’ 등에 속하는 업무스트레스의 비율이 더 높았다. 불승인 군은 승인 군보다 음주를 더 많이 했고, 개인적 스트레스 중 ‘개인적 경제적 문제’의 비율이 높았다. 군집분석을 실시하여, 5개의 군집으로 분류하였다. 군집1(위험노출형 교대근무자)은 장치, 기계조작 및 조립종사자로 교통수단에서 교대근무나 단독근무를 하는 비율이 높았고 ‘업무 관련 큰 질병/부상당함’, ‘업무특성이 위험함’, ‘근무장소가 위험함’의 업무스트레스가 높았다. 군집2(책임부담형 화이트칼라)는 대부분 금융 및 보험업에서 관리자로 근무했으며, 업무스트레스 중에서 ‘업무량 많음’, ‘시간적 압력’, ‘높은 심리적 요구도’, ‘책임이 많은 업무’의 비율이 높았다. 군집3(고객부담형 감정노동자)은 대부분 판매 종사자로 고객/거래처의 사업장에서 근무하는 비율이 높았고, ‘고객/거래처의 무리한 요구’, ‘고객/거래처 심리적 부담’, ‘할당 업무량 달성 못 함’ 등의 업무스트레스 비율이 높았다. 군집4(직장폭력형 사회초년생)는 여성, 비혼, 독거의 비율이 높은 특성이 있었다. 업무스트레스 중 ‘동료와의 트러블’, ‘심한 괴롭힘/따돌림/폭행사건’의 비율이 높았다. 군집5(고용불안정형 단순노동자)는 건설업에서 단순노무 종사자로 근무하는 비율이 높았고, 근로기간이 가장 짧고 월급이 가장 적었다. 특히, ‘비정규직 계약만료가 다가옴’, ‘비정규직으로 업무상 차별/불이익 받음’ 등의 고용 불안정에 대한 업무스트레스의 비율이 높았다.

결론: 노동자 자살사망자들은 자살 1년 전에 다양한 업무스트레스를 경험했으며, 특히 ‘업무의 실패 및 과중한 책임의 발생’, ‘업무의 양과 질’, ‘조직의 문화’와 관련된 스트레스가 많았다. 노동자 자살사망자는 인구통계학적 정보와 근로 기본정보를 바탕으로 5개의 하위 유형으로 분류할 수 있으며, 각 유형은 업무스트레스에서 차이를 나타냈다. 이 연구의 결과는 노동자 자살의 특성에 대한 이해를 높임으로써 노동자 자살을 예방하기 위한 개입전략 수립에 활용할 수 있을 것이다.; Objective: This study aimed to examine the general characteristics, personal-related stresses, and work-related stresses of Korean workers who had completed suicide, compare the characteristics of those in that population who had been approved for workers compensation (approved group) with those who had not (the disapproved group), and identify the criteria for approval by the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. Furthermore, workers who had completed suicide were divided into subgroups and subgroup characteristics were compared.

Methods: Data on 292 workers who had completed suicide were collected from claimed cases of suicide reported during 2010-2016 to the Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service, established by the Industrial Accidents Compensation Insurance Act. Data included demographic information, working condition, job characteristics, clinical variables, details of the suicide, personal-related stressors, and work-related stressors. Various characteristics, personal, and work-related stressors were compared between the approval and disapproval groups. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to determine whether Korean workers who had completed suicide separated into distinct subgroups. Clusters were compared with regard to various characteristics and stressors.

Results: Most of the Korean workers who had completed suicide were married men between 30 and 40 years of age who were university graduates and worked full-time and regularly. Manufacturing had the highest percentage in type of business, and manager, professional, and related workers had the highest percentages in type of occupation. The average number of years worked was 10.4, and the average working time per week was 49.7 hours. Psychiatric/psychological treatment and psychiatric drug use history were 56.1% and 55.9%, respectively, and the most prevalent diagnosis of mental illness was depressive disorder. The rate of use of healthcare service in 1 month before suicide was 61.6%, and the highest rate of use was due to mental illness. “Personal debt” (20.8%) and “economic problems” (16.9%) had the highest rates among personal-related stressors. Among work-related stressors, the percentage of variables belonging to the categories of “work failures and heavy responsibility,” “quantity and quality of work” and “organizational culture” were highest. Among the variables, “'high psychological demands” (54.7%) and “high level of work responsibility” (54.1%) were highest. The comparison of the characteristics of the approval group and the disapproval group revealed that, overall, the approval group had a high percentage of full-time and regular workers and more work-related stressors, such as “quantity and quality of work,” “work failures and heavy responsibilities,” and “organizational culture.” In the disapproval group, drinking behaviors were higher compared with the approval group, and the percentage of “economic problems” was high among the personal-related stressors. Five clusters emerged from the cluster analysis. Cluster 1 (risk-exposed type, shift worker) consisted of individuals who worked as equipment operators, machine operators, and assembly line workers. These individuals were shift workers and worked alone in transportation. Among work-related stressors, “experience work-related illness/injury” and “dangerous work and work location” were highest. Cluster 2 (responsibility-burdened type, white collar workers) consisted mostly of individuals who worked as managers in the financial and insurance business. Among work-related stressors, “a lot of workloads,” “time pressure,” “high psychological demands,” and “high level of work responsibility” were highest. Cluster 3 (customer-burdened type, emotional labor worker) consisted mostly of sales workers and had a high percentage of individuals working in the customer’s or client’s place of work. Among work-related stressors, “unreasonable requirement of customer/client,” “psychological demands of customers/clients,” and “failed to achieve allocation workload” were highest. Cluster 4 (workplace-violent type, new worker) had the highest percentages of females and unmarried individuals, living alone. Among work-related stressors, “conflicts with colleagues” and “severe harassment/bullying/violence” were highest. Cluster 5 (job-insecurity type, unskilled labor) consisted mostly of manual labors in the construction business. They had the shortest period of an employment contract and the lowest salaries. Among work-related stressors, “approached the contract expiration date of irregular workers” and “experienced work-related discrimination/disadvantage due to work status” were highest.

Conclusions: Most of the completed suicides among Korean workers were of individuals who had experienced a variety of work-related stressors in the year prior to suicide. In particular, there were high stressors related to “work failures and heavy responsibilities,” “quantity and quality of work,” and “organizational culture.” The completed suicides among Korean workers were classified into five subgroups based on demographic information and working condition, and each subgroup showed a different work-related stressor. The results of this study can be used to reduce the psychosocial hazards of workplaces and to establish intervention strategies to prevent workers' suicide by increasing understanding of the characteristics of workers' suicide.