Abstract

Recent studies suggest an increased risk of suicide among unmarried men. The purpose of the present study was to test the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between job satisfaction and suicidal ideation in this population. To verify the significant pathway through which job satisfaction affects suicidal ideation via self-esteem among unmarried men, generally known risk factors for male suicide (depression, hopelessness, childhood trauma, alcohol abuse, and family history of suicide) were controlled. An online survey was conducted with 177 unmarried men between the ages of 20 and 49. Participants completed measures assessing job satisfaction, self-esteem, suicidal ideation, depression, hopelessness, childhood trauma, and alcohol use. We used bootstrap method to verify the statistical significance of the mediating effect. The results indicated that the direct effect of self-esteem was not significant but a full mediation of self-esteem was found between the relationship of job satisfaction and suicidal ideation among unmarried men. Based on these findings, implications for the study, suggestions for future research, and limitations were discussed.