- Author:
Dae Hyun YOON
1
;
Seog Ju KIM
;
Jong Ha LEE
;
Pyo Min KIM
;
Doo Heum PARK
;
Seung Ho RYU
;
Jaehak YU
;
Jee Hyun HA
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Suicide; Low-income; Type D personality
- MeSH: Adult*; Employment; Humans; Male; Marital Status; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Spouses; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; Type D Personality*; Unemployment
- From:Psychiatry Investigation 2015;12(1):16-22
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Low-income adults are considered to be a group at high risk for suicide. We sought to examine the effect of type D personality and other socio-demographic factors on suicidality in low-income, middle-aged Koreans. METHODS: In total, 306 low-income, middle-aged Koreans [age: 49.16+/-5.24 (40-59) years, 156 males, 150 females] were enrolled from the Korean National Basic Livelihood Security System. Socio-demographic data, including employment status, income, health, marital status, and educational attainment, were gathered. Beck's 19-item Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) was applied to evaluate suicidality, and the DS14 was used to assess type D personality. RESULTS: Unemployment (p<0.01) and absence of spouse (p=0.03) predicted higher SSI scores independent of other socioeconomic factors. All type D personality scores [i.e., negative affectivity (NA), social inhibition (SI), and total score] predicted higher SSI scores independent of all socioeconomic factors (all, p<0.001). Subjects with type D personality had higher SSI scores (p<0.001), and the association between suicidality and socio-demographic factors (employment or physical health) could be found only in subjects without type D personality. CONCLUSION: Type D personality was a risk factor for suicide in low-income Koreans, independently from socio-economic factors. In addition, the socio-demographic factors were less prominently associated with suicidality in those with type D personality.