Effects of experience of discrimination on suicidal ideation among adolescents in South Korea: Focusing on the mediating effect of depressive mood

Background: Adolescent’s suicide has increased drastically in South Korea. Although recent studies suggest that discriminatory experiences in daily life may be a risk factor of suicidal ideation, little has been known about it and its pathways. The purposes of this study are to examine whether experience of discrimination is associated with suicidal ideation of youth and to test the mediating effect of depressive mood.

Method: Data on discriminatory experiences and depression were derived from the Korean Survey on the Rights of Youth and Children in 2013 by the National Youth Policy Institute of Korea. The sample consisted of 6,662 teenagers between the age of 13 and 18 (male=3,492, female=3,170). After controlling for gender, school year, family structure, perceived academic performance, and perceived economic background, regression techniques were used to test the main effect of discrimination and mediating effect of depressive mood on suicidal ideation. The mediating effect of depressive mood was examined through Z mediation verification method.

Results: The results showed that; 1) adolescents’ discriminatory experiences significantly affects their suicidal ideation (OR=1.906, p <.001), 2) more experiences of discrimination were associated with more depressive mood (β=.120, p <.001), 3) depressive mood mediates the association between experience of discrimination and suicidal ideation (OR=2.187, P <.001), and 4) depressive mood has a partial mediating effect on this relationship (Z=9.690, p <.001).

Conclusion: Based on these findings, the necessity of intervention to prevent discrimination and to enhance youth’s coping skills for discriminatory incidents was discussed.