Abstract
This study compared the prevalence of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in individuals living alone compared with those living with others and assessed the contribution of socio-demographic factors and physical health to these differences. We analyzed 2221 individuals living alone and 19,397 individuals living with others aged 20–80 years, drawn from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset in South Korea. The study group divided into three subgroups based on age to determine whether there were differences in mental health according to age. Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were evaluated by self-reported questionnaires. The sex- and age-adjusted prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were higher in those living alone than those living with others. The proportion of socio-economic status and physical health explaining the differences of depressive mood and suicidal ideation between the two groups was greater in the age group over 35 years old. Considering the difference in factors that explain depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among individuals living alone in the age group over 35 years of age and younger groups under 34 years of age, policies should be developed that will address the mental health needs of each age group.
Highlights
Living alone in Korea increased from 27.2% among the total general households in 2015 to 31.7% in 2020 [1]
The prevalence ratios (PR) of SI in living alone relative to living with others increased to 1.87 and 1.85 when educational level and occupation were adjusted, respectively. This large population-based study using nationally representative datasets of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) showed that depressive symptoms and SI were more prevalent among those living alone than in those living with others among all age groups
socioeconomic status (SES) explained the differences in depressive symptoms the most between those living alone and those living with others in the 65–80 and 35–64 years groups, and the proportions explained by physical health was relatively high in the 35–64 years group compared with that in other age groups
Summary
Living alone in Korea increased from 27.2% among the total general households in 2015 to 31.7% in 2020 [1]. Many studies have examined the effects of living arrangement on mental health in the elderly and these studies showed that individuals living alone have a lower life satisfaction and mental health compared to those living with others [7–10] These studies suggest that the loneliness, social isolation, poor social support and physical health and low socioeconomic status (SES) may explain these results [11]. Studies of middle-aged and young individuals living alone have shown that they do not have worse mental health than those living with others [12,13]. According to these studies [12,13], the number of middleaged individuals who are living alone is increasing and among them, the proportion of high-educated and high income households has risen. Research on living alone has been steadily conducted, most studies evaluate specific diseases or physical and psychological status of specific age groups, and there have been no studies on nationally representative samples of all age groups
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
