Comparison of causes for suicidal ideation and attempt: Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence suicidal ideation and attempts among Korean women, using longitudinal data. Data from wave 4 ( n = 7227), wave 5 ( n = 6892), and wave 6 ( n = 6632) of the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families collected on 2012, 2014, and 2016 were subjected to Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Number of cases for suicidal ideation was 4.7% of the total cases ( n = 20,751) between wave 4 through 6; number of cases for suicidal attempts was 5.7% of the cases from suicide ideation ( n = 979). Depressive feelings, bad or worst health, and increased stress had significant impacts on suicidal ideation ( χ 2 = 1867.84, p < .001; χ 2 = 983.61, p < .001; χ 2 = 884.01, p < .001) and suicidal attempts ( χ 2 = 5.36, p < .05; χ 2 = 11.19, p < .01; χ 2 = 7.46, p < .05; χ 2 = 6.21, p < .05) over time, respectively. From the Cox regression analysis, non-marital status (OR = 2.50, CI = 1.40–4.48) and having more than two children (OR = 2.55, CI = 1.18–5.51) compared to not having children were identified as predictors for suicidal attempt. Although the negative effect of number of children on suicidal attempts conflicts with previous evidence, socially determined mother roles and the significance of children should be considered in culturally sensitive terms when interpreting our findings.