Abstract:
Objectives: This study was set out to examine the effect of perceived discrimination and depression on suicidal ideation of Korean adults with disabilities. Methods: For analyses, data from the 2014 Korean National Survey of Individuals with Disability was used. The final sample for the analyses included data from 2,675 adults between the ages of 21 and 59 years. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were employed for analyses, and mediation effect of depression was examined using the bootstrapping analysis. Results: About seventeen percent of the adults with disability reported of having suicidal ideation while a little over twenty percent reported of having experienced depression. The results show that perceived discrimination indeed had a positive association with their suicidal ideation, and that depression partially mediated the discrimination-suicidal ideation relationship. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that adults with disability are a at-risk population for suicidal ideation, and that various measures and changes must be in place to prevent depression and suicidal ideation. In particular, service providers, practitioners, and educators must focus on their exposure to discrimination in understanding their vulnerability to depression and other health-related consequences.
