The Association Between Suicidal Ideation Trajectories and Later Academic Attitude and Career Adaptability Among South Korean Adolescents.

Objective

This study investigated how adolescents' experience of suicidal ideation over time relates to academic and career development, both of which are regarded as critical areas of development. Specifically, we examined how latent trajectories of suicidal ideation are associated with academic engagement, academic helplessness, and career adaptability.

Method

Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and regression analyses were conducted using six waves of data from the middle school panel of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 (2018-2023; N = 1,936).

Results

Four distinct latent trajectories of suicidal ideation were identified, characterized by significant group differences in academic and career-related variables: elevated-plummet (7.0%), moderate-surge (8.7%), moderate-rise (38.6%), and persistently low (45.7%). Results showed that both current and past levels of suicidal ideation were associated with academic engagement and helplessness, whereas career adaptability was more strongly linked to current experiences of suicidal ideation.

Conclusions

These findings advance existing scholarship by shifting attention from antecedents of suicidal ideation to developmental experiences. Moreover, the findings highlight high-priority areas for early intervention among adolescents experiencing suicidal ideation and provide empirical evidence to inform the design of programs aimed at strengthening academic and career competencies.