GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SUICIDAL IDEATION ASSOCIATED WITH LONG WORKING HOURS AMONG KOREAN EMPLOYEES
Abstract
Objectives
This study investigated the relationship between increased working hours and suicidal ideation among Korean full-time employees by gender.
Methods
Participants were employees from 54 companies and local government organizations in Korea, aged 19–68 years, who completed a self-reported questionnaire on sociodemographic factors, daily perceived stress, resilience, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Of the initial 15,360 respondents, participants who worked less than 40 hours were excluded. The final sample size was 9,326 (5,652 men, 3,674 women). Associations of sociodemographic factors and psychological characteristics of participants with suicidal ideation were analyzed using Student’s t-tests and chi-square tests for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed using suicidality as the dependent variable.
Results
In univariate analyses, suicidal ideation was associated with increased working hours. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses of sociodemographic and psychological factors found no association between long work hours and suicidal ideation for the participants overall, but showed significant differences between men and women, such that long working hours were associated with suicidal ideation in men, but were non-significant for women.
Conclusions
Suicidal ideation is associated with long working hours among Korean male full-time workers. For female workers, other factors may be more associated with suicidal ideation. Suicide prevention measures for employees should thus be developed by gender.
