Sex-specific impact of changes in job status on suicidal ideation

Abstract. Background: Around the globe, 800,000 people die from suicide every year. Despite being one of the leading causes of death, suicide remains a low public health priority. Korea has the second highest total suicide rate among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore how changes of job status influence suicidal risk in Korea, which lags behind other OECD countries in job security because temporary and part-time jobs are more prevalent in Korea. Method: We made use of a large longitudinal dataset, the Korea Health Panel (KHP). Results: Our findings revealed that a negative change in employment status increased the risk of suicide, but only for males. Limitations: Some individuals might intentionally change their job status, but the data do not indicate why the job status of an individual changes. Conclusion: These findings provide useful insights regarding the Korean labor market. In particular, tackling the issue of job stability, providing training polices for the unemployed and under-employed, and considering social insurance schemes may help to reduce suicide risk.