Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Sep 21;35(37):e319.
doi: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e319.

Impacts of Remaining Single above the Mean Marriage Age on Mental Disorders and Suicidality: a Nationwide Study in Korea

Jimin Lee  1 , Hyerim Kim  1 , Jungmin Woo  1   2 , Sung Man Chang  1   2 , Jin Pyo Hong  3 , Dong Woo Lee  4 , Bong Jin Hahm  5 , Seong Jin Cho  6 , Jong Ik Park  7 , Hong Jin Jeon  3 , Su Jeong Seong  8 , Jee Eun Park  5 , Byung Soo Kim  2   9
Affiliations

Impacts of Remaining Single above the Mean Marriage Age on Mental Disorders and Suicidality: a Nationwide Study in Korea

Jimin Lee et al. J Korean Med Sci. .

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the impact of getting older than the mean marriage age on mental disorders and suicidality among never-married people.

Methods: We performed an epidemiological survey, a nationwide study of mental disorders, in 2016. In this study, a multi-stage cluster sampling was adopted. The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was conducted with 5,102 respondents aged 18 years or above. The associations between never-married status, mental disorders, and suicidality were explored according to whether the mean age of first marriage (men = 32.8 years; women = 30.1 years) had passed.

Results: Never-married status over the mean marriage age was associated with agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mood disorders, and major depressive disorder after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Respondents with never-married status above the mean marriage age were associated with suicide attempts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-7.60) after controlling for sociodemographic factors and lifetime prevalence of mental disorders, while respondents with never-married status under the mean marriage age were not. Moreover, in respondents with never-married status, getting older than the mean marriage age was associated with suicidal ideations (aOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.04-2.15) and suicide attempts (aOR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.46-7.84) after controlling for sociodemographic factors and lifetime prevalence of mental disorders.

Conclusion: Never-married status above the mean first marriage age was associated with mental disorders and suicidality. These findings suggest the need for a national strategy to develop an environment where people with never-married status do not suffer even if their marriage is delayed.

Keywords: Cross-sectional Studies; Marriage; Mental Disorders; Single Person; Suicide.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Korean Statistical Information Service. Population trend study: the mean age of first marriage. [Updated 2019]. [Accessed December 12, 2019]. http://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=INH_1B83A09&vw_cd=M....
    1. Kisker EE, Goldman N. Perils of single life and benefits of marriage. Soc Biol. 1987;34(3-4):135–152. - PubMed
    1. Nilsson PM, Nilsson JÅ, Östergren PO, Berglund G. Social mobility, marital status, and mortality risk in an adult life course perspective: the Malmö preventive project. Scand J Public Health. 2005;33(6):412–423. - PubMed
    1. Ross CE, Mirowsky J, Goldsteen K. The impact of the family on health: the decade in review. J Marriage Fam. 1990;52(4):1059–1078.
    1. Cutright P, Fernquist R. Marital status integration, psychological well-being, and suicide acceptability as predictors of marital status differentials in suicide rates. Soc Sci Res. 2005;34(3):570–590.