266686 Experienced Discrimination, Suicidal Ideation, and the Moderating Effect of Social Support among Adolescents

Sunday, October 28, 2012

In Han Song, PhD , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Health and Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Sewon Kwon, MSW , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Eunhae Chung, MSW , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Jeniffer Kim, BS , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Background: Suicide is currently one of the most critical social problems among adolescents in Korea. Previous studies have argued that perceived discrimination was associated with an increased risk of suicide, but little has been studied about this relationship among Korean adolescents.

Methods: This study investigated the relationship between suicidal ideation and discriminations against gender, age, appearance, academic performance, and economic status, and the moderating effect of social support on the relationship, by analyzing 3,117 middle school students from the "Korean Survey on the Rights of Youth and Children in 2009" data by the National Youth Policy Institute of Korea.

Results: The results showed that (1) female was statistically significantly more likely to experience discrimination, (2) more experienced discrimination was associated with more suicidal ideation, (3) more social support was associated with less suicidal ideation, and (4) social support had a moderating effect so that it diminished the strength of the association between experienced discrimination and suicidal ideation.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that, to reduce suicide associated with experienced discrimination, appropriate social support is of significant importance. This implies that policy and intervention efforts need to be directed at promoting social support for adolescents.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Investigate the effect of experienced discrimination on suicidal ideation among adolescents. Examine the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between experienced discrimination and suicidal ideation.

Keywords: Suicide, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted the research and wrote the abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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