Mediating Effect of Quality of Sleep Moderated by Meaning in Life on the Relationship between Hwabyung and Suicidal Ideation in Middle-Aged Korean Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the quality of sleep and meaning in life in the process by which Hwabyung symptoms affect suicidal ideation in middle-aged Korean women. A total of 265 women aged 40–65 years were enrolled in an online survey. The study variables were measured using the Hwabyung, quality of sleep, meaning in life, and suicidal ideation scales. The data were analyzed using the PROCESS Procedure for SPSS Release 3.5 (Model 14) program with a 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval. Hwabyung symptoms in middle-aged women had a significant direct effect on suicidal ideation, and an indirect effect through the quality of sleep was also statistically significant. Meaning in life was found to significantly moderate the indirect effect of Hwabyung on suicidal ideation through the quality of sleep. In other words, the greater the meaning in life, the weaker the effect of Hwabyung on suicidal ideation through the quality of sleep. The Hwabyung of middle-aged women caused a psychological crisis and was a great threat to physical health by lowering the quality of sleep. The low quality of sleep and the increase in suicidal ideation due to Hwabyung pose a great threat to the survival of middle-aged women. It was found that it is very important to find meaning in one’s life as an effective way to reduce suicidal ideation in middle-aged women.