Suicide Attempts by Family Members and Friends and Their Impact on Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents

Background:

Impact of suicide attempts by family members or friends negatively affects suicidal ideation among survivors. In South Korea, where its suicide rate is the highest among OECD countries, exposure to suicide attempts in relationships may be a serious factor associated with suicide. This study examined the impact of suicide attempts by family members and friends on survivors’ suicidal ideation, and the mediating effect of depressive mood in the relationship between suicide attempts by family members and friends and suicidal ideation among adolescents.

Methods:

Data were analyzed which was collected through a survey of a total of 553 students from six middle schools randomly selected from 6 school districts of the Seoul and Inchon Metropolitan areas. Binominal logistic regression and Z mediation test analyses were used for analysis. 

Results:

The results show that exposure to a suicide attempt by family members and friends had a significant effect on suicidal ideation (p=.001), and that there found a partial mediating effect of depressive mood was observed, that is, there is the direct impact of exposure to suicide attempts on suicidal ideation without being mediated by depressive mood.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that special attention needs to be given to adolescents who were exposed to significant other’s suicidal attempts regardless of having depressive mood.