Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Multilevel Effect of Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Characteristics on Suicidal Ideation Among Korean Older Adults

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined the effect of neighborhood factors on suicidal ideation of community-dwelling older adults in Korea. To understand the effect of neighborhood factors (neighborhood social cohesion, satisfaction with neighborhood safety, living environment, suicide rate, proportion of social welfare agencies, proportion of social welfare expenses) and individual factors (health, social relationships) on suicidal ideation of older adults, we conducted a multilevel logistic regression analysis. The 2017 Community Health Survey of Korea included data on 67,820 people aged 65 years or older and in 255 neighborhoods. At the individual level, the presence of suicidal ideation was associated with less education attainment, lower family income, not living with a spouse, fewer social networks, fewer social activities, more depressive symptoms, and lower health-related quality of life. At the neighborhood level, lack of social cohesion, a higher suicide rate, and a smaller social welfare budget were significantly effect related to the probability of suicidal ideation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Awata, S., Seki, T., Koizumi, Y., Sato, S., Hozawa, A., Momori, K., et al. (2005). Factors associated with suicidal ideation in an elderly urban Japanese population: A community-based, cross-sectional study. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 59, 327–336.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bliese, P. D. (1998). Group size, ICC values, and group-level correlation: Simulation. Organizational Research Methods, 1, 355–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, C., Wong, H., & Yip, P. S. (2018). Exploring the use of telephone helpline pertaining to older adult suicide prevention: A Hong Kong experience. Journal of Affective Disorders, 236, 75–79.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, S., Suh, E. E., & Choi, H. (2017). Risk factors on suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt among community dwelling older adults: Based on 2014 Community Mental Health Survey. Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing, 20(2), 111–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho, M. J., & Kim, K. H. (1993). Diagnostic validity of the CESD (Korean version) in the assessment of DSM-III-R major depression. Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, 32(3), 381–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collings, S., Jenkin, G., Stanley, J., Mckenzie, S., & Hatcher, S. (2018). Preventing suicide behaviors with a multilevel intervention: A cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 18, 140. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5032-6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Corna, L. M., Cairney, J., & Streiner, D. L. (2010). Suicide ideation in older adults: Relationship to mental health problems and service use. The Gerontologist, 50(6), 785–797.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conwell, Y., Van Orden, K., & Caine, E. D. (2011). Suicide in older adults. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 34(2), 451–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramm, J. M., Dijk, H. M., & Nieboer, A. P. (2013). The importance of neighborhood social cohesion and social capital for the well-being of older adults in the community. Gerontologist, 53(1), 142–152.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • EuroQol. (1990). EuroQol-a new facility for the measurement of health-related quality of life. The EuroQol Group. Health Policy, 16(3), 199–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finch, W. H., & Bolin, J. E. (2017). Multilevel Modeling Using Mplus. Boca Raton: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fountoulakis, K. N., Gonda, X., & Rihmer, Z. (2011). Suicide prevention programs through community intervention. Journal of Affective Disorder, 130, 10–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullen, M. C. (2016). Mobilizing the community to prevent older adult suicide. Illness, Crisis, & Loss, 24(3), 155–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldney, R. D., Adelaide, S. A., Fisher, L. J., Wilson, D. H., & Cheok, F. (2001). Suicidal ideation and health-related quality of life in the community. The Medical Journal of Australia, 175(10), 546–549.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, G., & Zhao, H. (2000). Multilevel modeling for binary data. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 441–462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haseda, M., Kondo, N., Takagi, D., & Kondo, K. (2018). Community social capital and inequality in depressive symptoms among older Japanese adults: A multilevel study. Health and Place, 52, 8–17.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heck, R. H., & Thomas, S. L. (2009). An Introduction to Multilevel Modeling Techniques. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooghe, M., & Vanhoutte, B. (2011). An ecological study of community level correlates of suicide mortality rates in the Flemish region of Belgium, 1996–2005. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 41(4), 453–464.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ivanoff, A., & Fisher, P. (2001). Suicide and suicidal behavior. In A. Gitterman (Ed.), Handbook of social work practice with vulnerable and resilience population (pp. 788–819). New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jahn, D. R., Cukrowicz, K. C., Linton, K., & Prabhu, F. (2011). The mediating effect of perceived burdensomeness on the relation between depressive symptoms and suicide ideation in a community sample of older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 15(2), 214–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khodyakov, D., Sharif, M. Z., Dixon, E. L., Mendel, P., Chung, B., Linski, B., et al. (2014). An implementation evaluation of the community engagement and planning intervention in the CPIC Depression Care Improvement Trial. Community Mental Health Journal, 50, 312–324.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H., Choi, K. W., Na, E. J., Hong, J. P., Fava, M., Mischoulon, D., et al. (2018). Anxiety attacks with or without life-threating situations, major depressive disorder, and suicide attempt: A nationwide community sample of Korean adults. Psychiatry Research, 270, 257–263.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. H., & Kwon, J. W. (2012). The impact of health-related quality of life on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Korean older adults. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 38(11), 48–59.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Korean Statistical Information Service. (2018). National Statistics. Retrieved April 10, 2019 from https://kosis.kr/statisticsList/statisticsListIndex.do?menuId=M_01_01&vwcd=MT_ZTITLE&parmTabId=M_01_01.

  • Korea Suicide Prevention Center. (2018). Suicide Statistics. Retrieved May 13, 2019 from https://spckorea-stat.or.kr/.

  • Kuramoto, S. J., Wilcox, H. C., & Latkin, C. A. (2013). Social integration and suicide-related ideation from a social network perspective: A longitudinal study among inner-city African Americans. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 43(4), 366–378.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laurence, J. (2011). The effect of ethnic diversity and community disadvantage on social cohesion: A multi-level analysis of social capital and interethnic relations in UK communities. European Sociological Review, 27(1), 70–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehning, A. J., Nicklett, E. J., Davitt, J., & Wiseman, H. (2017). Social work and aging in place: A scoping review of the literature. Social Work Research, 41(4), 235–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macintyre, S., Ellaway, A., & Cummins, S. (2002). Place effects on health: How can we conceptualise, operationalise and measure them? Social Science & Medicine, 55, 125–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohnen, S. M., Groenewegen, P. P., Volker, B., & Flap, H. (2011). Neighborhood social capital and individual health. Social Science & Medicine, 72, 660–667.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngui, A. N., Vasiliadis, H., & Preville, M. (2015). Individual and area-level factors correlated with death by suicide in older adults. Preventive Medicine, 75, 44–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noguchi, M., Kobayashi, T., Iwase, T., Suzuki, E., Kawachi, I., & Takao, S. (2017). Social capital and suicidal ideation in community-dwelling older residents: A multilevel analysis of 10, 094 subjects in Japan. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(1), 37–47.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2017). Mental Health, in Society at a Glance 2017: OECD Social Indicators. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sedivy, N. Z., Poldlogar, T., Kerr, D. C. R., & De Leo, D. (2017). Community social support as a protective factor against suicide: A gender-specific ecological study of 75 regions of 23 European countries. Health & Place, 48, 40–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sirey, J. A., Bruce, M. L., Carpenter, M., Booker, D., Reid, M. C. N., & Alexopoulos, G. S. (2008). Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among older adults receiving home delivered meals. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 1306–1311.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Song, I. H., Kwon, S. W., & Kim, J. E. (2015). Association between suicidal ideation and exposure to suicide in social relationships among family, friend, and acquaintance survivors in South Korea. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 45(3), 376–390.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stack, S., & Kposowa, A. J. (2008). The association of suicide rates with individual-level suicide attitudes: A cross-national analysis. Social Science Quarterly, 89(1), 39–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Standley, I. H., Hom, M. A., Rogers, M. L., Hagan, C. R., & Joiner, T. E. (2016). Understanding suicide among older adults: A review of psychological and sociological theories of suicide. Aging & Mental Health, 20(2), 113–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stolz, E., Fux, B., Mayeri, H., Rasky, E., & Freidl, W. (2016). Passive suicide ideation among older adults in Europe: A multilevel regression analysis of individual and societal determinants in 12 countries (SHARE). The Journals of Gerontology B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 71(5), 947–958.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Toma, A., Hamer, M., & Shankar, A. (2015). Association between neighborhood perceptions and mental well-being among older adults. Health & Place, 34, 46–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ungar, M. (2011). Community resilience for youth and families: Facilitative physical and social capital in contexts of adversity. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1742–1748.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanderhorst, R. K., & McLaren, S. (2005). Social relationships as predictors of depression and suicide ideation in older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 9(6), 517–525.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waern, M., Beskow, J., Runesson, B., & Skoog, I. (1999). Suicidal feelings in the last year of life in elderly people who commit suicide. Lancet, 354, 917–918.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yuryev, A., Varnik, A., Varnik, P., Sisask, M., & Lepik, L. (2012). Role of social welfare in European suicide prevention. International Journal of Social Welfare, 21, 26–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, J., & Wang, C. (2012). Factors in the neighborhood as risks of suicide in rural China: A multilevel analysis. Community Mental Health Journal, 48, 627–633.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, Y., & Chung, P. K. (2017). Neighborhood environment walkability and health-related quality of life among older adults in Hong Kong. Archives of Gerontology Geriatrics, 73, 182–186.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, S. L. (2002). States’ spending for public welfare and their suicide rates, 1960 to 1995: What is the problem? The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 190(6), 349–360.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was not funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aging and Social Work, Catholic University of Pusan, #57 Oryundae-ro, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 609-757, South Korea

    Jin Kim & Mi Jin Park

Authors
  1. Jin Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mi Jin Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mi Jin Park.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors report no competing or conflicts of interest and certify responsibility for the manuscript.

Ethical Approval

Ethical approval for the community health survey was obtained by the institutional review board of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This study was approved by the Catholic University of Pusan Institutional Review Board (CUPIRB-2019-01-006).

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kim, J., Park, M.J. Multilevel Effect of Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Characteristics on Suicidal Ideation Among Korean Older Adults. Community Ment Health J 57, 522–528 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00678-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00678-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation