Gender-specific factors associated with the use of mental health services for suicidal ideation: Results from the 2013 Korean Community Health Survey

This study examined gender-specific factors associated with the use of mental health services (MHS) for suicidal ideation (SI). We included data on 6,768 males and 12,475 females who had experienced SI over the past year from the nationwide 2013 Korean Community Health Survey. These individuals were grouped as MHS users for SI if they had received professional counseling at medical institutions, professional counseling agencies, or community health centers for SI-related problems. Their information on sociodemographic factors, socio-familial relationships, health behaviors, and health status were included as exposures in a logistic regression analysis. Of the 19,243 individuals, 7.0% of the males and 10.5% of the females used MHS for SI treatment. For males with SI, living in an urban area, being a widower, and having unhealthy behaviors (frequent alcohol consumption and infrequent walking) were associated with underuse of MHS. For females with SI, frequent contact with friends, low level of religious activity, and good self-rated health were associated with underuse of MHS. For both males and females, those who were younger, completed higher education, and experienced depression/suicide attempts in the past year were more likely to use MHS for SI. These findings suggest that gender-specific factors should be used to inform suicide prevention strategies.