Relationship between unemployment, depression, and suicide during COVID-19 among males in South Korea: based on internet search trends

Background: The economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant increases in unemployment rates, which negatively affect mental health and contribute to higher rates of depression and suicide. Recent analyses of internet search trends indicate an increased public interest in these mental health issues, promoting efforts to implement web-based interventions. Methods: This study investigated the mediating effects of depression on the relationship between unemployment and suicide in South Korea during COVID-19 by analyzing internet search trends. The search volume of keywords related to unemployment, depression, and suicide during the COVID-19 period (from 21 January 2020, to 11 May 2023) was extracted from South Korea’s largest online search engine data, including searches conducted on both mobile and desktop devices. The study sample included of working-age adult males between the ages of 20 and 60. The search volume data from 1207 search volume entries were extracted and analyzed using SPSS PROCESS macro (version 4.0). Results: The analysis revealed that suicide-related searches had the highest relative frequency, followed by depression and unemployment. Unemployment was found to significantly affect depression, and depression-related keyword searches mediated the association between unemployment- and suicide-related keyword searches. Conclusions: The findings suggest that government policies should prioritize both economic recovery efforts, and mental health support, including unemployment assistance, wage support and suicide prevention services. Developing web-based mental health resources and interventions could strengthen these efforts.