Factors for Suicidal Ideation in Middle School Students by Gender

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors of suicidal ideation in middle school students by gender, and to announce the necessity of gaining upon a socio-cultural comprehension-based approach. Methods: Three middle schools were randomly selected from a pool of 21 middle schools in S City, and were stratified by school and grade. A total of 878 students were included in the analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors that affect suicidal ideation by gender. Results: Suicidal ideation and depression scores of the female students were over twofold higher than those of the male students. The factor that was found to affect suicidal ideation in the male students was depression while for the female students the factors were visiting suicide-related websites, having friends who attempted to commit suicide, depression, and poor communication with one's parents. Conclusion: The findings in this study support gender differences in suicidal ideation, and suggest that building socio-cultural environments are needed to abate their negative emotions and to help youth find out their reasons to live.