Associations between Physical Activity, Depression, Self-Esteem, and Suicide Ideation in Adolescents

Background: In contemporary society, it has been widely witnessed that a surprising number of adolescents suffer emotional and mental health problems, and such turmoil is very often carried over into adulthood with serious implications for adjustment during the post-adolescent years. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the associations of physical activity with self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation. In addition, this study examined whether self-esteem and depression mediate the relationship between physical activity and suicide ideation in adolescents. Methods: The study participants were 946 (male: 527, female: 419) who attended junior high and high schools in Seoul, Korea. The self-esteem scale, leisure time physical activity scale, the self-rating depression scale, and the suicide ideation scale were used to identify adolescents’ mental health and physical activity. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling were conducted to test the study hypothesis. Results: Results indicated that physical activity was significantly correlated with depression, self-esteem, and suicide ideation. Based on each variable’s correlations, the finding revealed that physical activity was significantly associated with self-esteem, depression, and suicide ideation. In addition, depression and self-esteem had significant mediating effects on the relationship between physical activity and suicide ideation. Conclusion: The study suggests that the suicide prevention intervention should incorporate physical activity involvement with self-esteem and depression to strengthen the protective combined effect of the intervention on suicide ideation and suicide attempts.