Parental Occupational Status and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescent: Cross-Sectional Secondary Data Analysis

Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed to identify the effect of parental occupational status on adolescents' suicidal ideation from a representative sample of the Korean population. Design and methodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed. Participants were 3201 adolescents aged 12–18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. ResultsAdolescents experiencing suicidal ideation were found to be more likely to be female, have a history of smoking or alcohol use, a shorter sleep duration, greater perception of stress, and greater experience of depression when compared to those who did not report suicidal ideation. There was a statistically significant difference in perception of stress, experience of depression, and experience of suicidal ideation according to parental occupational status. Adolescents' suicidal ideation was associated with parents' employment status, work status, work schedule patterns, and working hours per week. ConclusionsParental occupational status was associated with adolescents' suicidal ideation, but fathers' and mothers' occupational status affected children's suicidal ideation in different ways. Adolescents' suicidal ideation seems to have been affected by economic difficulty and stress, resulting from the father's occupational status, amount of time spent interacting with the mother, and the mother's employment status. Policies are needed to improve the quality of employment to reduce the financial difficulties and stresses of the father. A strategy for work-family compatibility is needed so that the mother can have enough time with her children while she has a job. Practice implicationsIt is necessary to consider parents' occupational status when assessing adolescents' suicidal ideation and providing interventions.