Abstract

The present study examined whether the suicidal ideation among Korean high school students is related to college entrance examination. Important findings and implications are that (1) there is no grade difference in the severity of suicidal ideation, (2) nevertherless, the suicidal ideation in each high school grades involes different cogntive factors and mechanisms, (3) salient factors influenceing suicidal ideation are the levels of aspiration for the 1st graders and the levels of current academic proficiency for the 2nd and 3rd graders, (4) given a constant level of current academic proficiency, encouragement for the goal achievement for the 2nd graders and realistic (downward) readjustment of standards for the 3rd graders may help reduce the severity of suicidal ideation, (5) internal attribution of the aspiration-reality discrepancy may be harmful especially for the 3rd grade students, (6) for theoretical concern, the aspiration-reality discrepancy may interact with perceived controllability to influence suicidal ideation Viadepression.