(Getty Images) Irregular sleep patterns between weekdays and weekends may be linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among teenagers, a study showed Monday.According to the study, published in the Journal of Korean Public Health Research by Han Seung-jun of Kyung Hee University’s Graduate School of Health Science and Management, teenagers with greater social jet lag were more likely to report suicidal thoughts, suicide plans and suicide attempts.Social jet lag refers to a mismatch between the body’s internal biological clock and socially imposed schedules, such as school or work. Among students, it often appears as a pattern of waking up early on weekdays and sleeping in on weekends.The study analyzed data from 48,101 middle and high school students. Social jet lag was calculated by measuring the difference between the midpoint of sleep on weekdays and weekends.Of the students analyzed, 46.4 percent had less than one hour of social jet lag, while 33.2 percent had one to two hours. Another 20.3 percent had two hours or more.The study also examined three suicide-related behaviors reported over the previous 12 months: suicidal thoughts, suicide plans and suicide attempts.Students with two or more hours of social jet lag reported the highest rate of suicidal thoughts, at 14.2 percent. The figure stood at 12.2 percent among those with one to two hours of social jet lag and 11.2 percent among those with less than one hour.A similar pattern was seen in suicide plans and attempts.The rate of suicide plans was 5.5 percent among students with two or more hours of social jet lag, compared with 4.5 percent among those with one to two hours and 3.9 percent among those with less than one hour.The rate of suicide attempts was also highest among students with two or more hours of social jet lag, at 3.2 percent. The figure was 2.5 percent among those with one to two hours and 2.0 percent among those with less than one hour.“The greater the social jet lag among adolescents, the significantly higher the risk of suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts,” the report said.The report suggested that social jet lag may function as an independent risk factor for suicide-related behaviors among teenagers by amplifying mental stress and emotional vulnerability.It also called for regular sleep rhythms and better alignment with social schedules to be considered key points of intervention in adolescent suicide prevention.“Social jet lag needs to be used as an independent management indicator in adolescent mental health management and suicide prevention strategies,” the report said.If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s helpline at 109, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.