In Korean adults, loneliness was linked to suicidality beyond mental disorders

A survey in Jeju found that loneliness remained associated with lifetime suicidal thoughts and behaviors after accounting for common mental disorders.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers analyzed data from the 2023 Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Mental Health Survey, which included 704 people aged 18 to 79. Participants were assessed for loneliness, common mental disorders and lifetime suicidal thoughts and behaviors using structured interviews and standardized scales.

Higher loneliness was associated with both common mental disorders and lifetime suicidality. After adjustment, common mental disorders remained a significant predictor of suicidality, while loneliness also retained an independent association and was linked to higher suicidality risk, particularly among people with common mental disorders.

Loneliness and suicidality

People reporting high levels of loneliness were more likely to have common mental disorders and a history of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. After researchers adjusted for demographic factors and common mental disorders, loneliness remained independently associated with lifetime suicidality. Common mental disorders also remained a significant predictor, and the association between loneliness and suicidality was particularly strong among people with these disorders. The abstract does not provide effect sizes or prevalence figures.

Why social connection matters

The findings suggest that addressing mental disorders alone may not capture the full relationship between social disconnection and suicidality. The researchers say public health efforts that support social engagement could be relevant to preventing suicidal behaviors, including among people who have common mental disorders.

Evidence and limits

This was an observational analysis of survey data from 704 adults in one South Korean province. Because the data were collected at one time and included lifetime measures of suicidality, the study shows associations rather than proving that loneliness causes suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Findings from Jeju may not apply to all Korean adults, and the abstract does not report the size of the associations or the survey’s participation rate.

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