Age Discrimination and Suicidal Ideation Among Korean Older Adults

•What is the primary question addressed by this study? We examined the association between perceived age discrimination and the presence of suicidal ideation among community-dwelling older adults living in South Korea.•What is the main finding of this study? After controlling for covariates, those community-dwelling older adults who experienced age discrimination were more likely to have late-onset suicidal ideation.•What is the meaning of this study? Identifying those adults who are experiencing age discrimination in South Korea may be one way to develop targeted interventions for older populations who are at increased risk for suicide. We examined the role of age discrimination in suicidal ideation among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea. We analyzed adults aged 65 or older residing in Korea drawn from the 2014 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons (total unweighted n = 10,279; total weighted N = 6,280,588). Data were analyzed using chi-square, t tests, and logistic regression analyses. Results from logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for covariates, Korean elders who experienced age discrimination had 2.26 times higher odds of having suicidal ideation than those who did not. The experience of age discrimination increased the risk of suicidal ideation among Korean elders. Identifying ways to reduce age discrimination may be an effective means of reducing suicidal ideation, which would, in turn, potentially decrease suicide rates among older adults. There may be cross-cultural clinical implications and variations due to belief systems surrounding respect for older adults.