Department of Social Welfare, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea.
Graduate School, Sangmyung University, Seoul, South Korea.
BMC Psychiatry. 2021 Aug 18;21(1):409. doi: 10.1186/s12888-021-03423-8.
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.
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.
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.
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.
本研究考察了抑郁对韩国老年人自杀意念的影响。此外，本研究还探讨了社会支持作为一种减轻老年人抑郁的因素，是如何调节抑郁与自杀意念之间关系的。
本研究基于对首尔和京畿道 260 名老年人的调查，分别使用贝克自杀意念量表、流行病学研究中心抑郁量表和老年人社会支持测量表评估自杀意念、抑郁和社会支持。
多元回归分析证实，抑郁和社会支持与自杀意念显著相关。基于路径分析，我们发现社会支持在抑郁和自杀意念之间起中介作用。
因此，本研究为政策制定者和社会工作者提供了具体的见解，说明如何减少老年人的自杀意念。特别是，抑郁和社会支持在自杀意念中的作用是韩国老年人关注的问题。
