Prevalence and Associated Factors of Suicidal Ideation and Attempt among University Students at Addis Ababa University; A Cross-Sectional Study
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Date
2024-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Introduction: Suicide is a self-inflicted harm to oneself with the intent of dying. Suicidal ideation is the act of considering, contemplating, or intending to commit suicide; while suicidal attempt is when someone harms themselves with the intention of ending their life but does not pass away because of their acts. It affects people in all age groups across the world. Suicide is one of the major public health concerns affecting many people around the world. The contributing factors to the rise in suicide rates among university students in Ethiopia, as well as in Addis Ababa could be availability of mental health resources and support, the stigma surrounding mental health and lack of awareness and education about suicide prevention. Understanding the prevalence and contributing factors to suicide among university students is crucial in developing effective prevention strategies.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of suicide among undergraduate university students attending AAU.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 413 students attending 3 campuses of AAU. Data was collected through structured self-administered questionnaires.
Result: The prevalence of any form of suicidal behavior was 16%. Age (p-value 0.005), frequent alcohol use over the past 3 months (p-value 0.05), feeling about the past year’s result (p-value 0.05), higher depression scores on PHQ-9 (p-value 0.02) and emotional abuse (p-value
Conclusion: The findings in our study showed that suicidal outcomes are high among university students attending AAU. The factors associated with suicidal outcomes were age, emotional abuse during childhood, recent alcohol use history, depression and feeling about the past year’s result. The associated factors were also in line with previous literature regarding suicide as well as with scientific knowledge
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PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF SUICIDAL