Associations between suicidal ideation and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling stroke survivors: 2013–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose: The study aimed to identify differences between individuals with stroke and the general population regarding socioeconomic, mental health, and Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) factors, and associations among Suicidal ideation (SI), HRQOL, and mental health. Methods: Data of individuals with stroke (n = 592) and without stroke (n = 23,562) aged 20 or older from the 2013–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Chi-square tests examined differences in socioeconomic status, mental health, and HRQOL (EQ-5D) between groups. Independent associations between each EQ-5D dimension and SI were analyzed through multivariable logistic regression. Results: Individuals with stroke were more likely to have problems on all EQ-5D dimensions. Significant univariate associations were identified between four EQ-5D dimensions and SI among individuals with stroke. Pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR] = 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.75, p = 0.048) and anxiety/depression (OR = 4.66; 95% CI, 3.69–5.89, p <.0001) of the EQ-5D were associated with SI when adjusting for all socioeconomic variables; anxiety/depression (OR = 2.80; 95% CI, 2.18–3.60, p <.0001) was the only risk factor for SI after controlling for socioeconomic and mental health variables. Conclusion: Individuals with stroke showed higher rates for problems on the EQ-5D, SI, and depression compared to the general population. They also demonstrated significant associations between SI and each EQ-5D dimension except physical activity, especially pain/discomfort and depression/anxiety. The study’s findings can be referred to when predicting suicide risk in individuals with stroke by analyzing their EQ-5D scores.