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
. 2021 Aug 18;21(1):409.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-021-03423-8.

Suicidal ideation associated with depression and social support: a survey-based analysis of older adults in South Korea

Bum Jung Kim  1 , Taesuk Kihl  2
Affiliations

Suicidal ideation associated with depression and social support: a survey-based analysis of older adults in South Korea

Bum Jung Kim et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: This study examined the effect of depression on suicidal ideation among older adults in South Korea. Furthermore, this study investigated how social support, as a factor that reduces depression among older adults, mediates the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation.

Methods: Based on a survey of 260 older adults in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, suicidal ideation, depression, and social support were evaluated using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Measurement of Social Support in the Elderly, respectively.

Results: A multiple regression analysis confirmed that depression and social support were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Based on path analysis, we found that social support mediated the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation.

Conclusions: Therefore, this study provides concrete insights for policymakers and social workers about how suicidal ideation among older adults may be diminished. Particularly, the role of depression and social support in suicidal ideation is a matter of concern for older adults in South Korea.

Keywords: Depression; Older adults; Social support; South Korea; Suicidal ideation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Lee HS. Counseling for the elderly. Seoul: Hakjisa; 2012.
    1. National Statistical Office. Future population estimation, 2017. Daejeon: Korea National Statistical Office; 2016. http://kosis.kr/conts/nsportalStats/nsportalStats_0102Body.jsp?menuId=10.... Accessed July, 2020.
    1. Chang KS. Compressed modernity and Reconception of the aging issue: aged people as a new generation. Family Culture. 2001;13(1):1–29.
    1. National Statistical Office. Elderly statistics, 2014. Daejeon: Korea National Statistical Office; 2014.
    1. Durkheim E. Suicide: a study in sociology (Spaulding JA, Simpson G, trans.) San Francisco: Free Press; 1951.