A cross-sectional study of suicidal ideation and behaviour, depression, anxiety and stress in a Spanish sample. Mental health in young people after the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on mental health, especially among young people. A cross-sectional study was carried out (N = 450, mean age = 24) using an online questionnaire from march to may 2022 collecting different sociodemographic and clinical variables. The 42.2% of the sample presented symptoms of depression, 41.6% of anxiety, and 21.1% of stress. 8.9% of the young people reported suicide attempts, while 39.1% declared having had suicidal ideation. Youth with lower socioeconomic status reported worse symptomatology and higher rates of suicidal ideation and behaviour. The main predictor of suicide was depression, along with lower socioeconomic status and being male in more severe cases. Depression and anxiety were associated variables in cases with a history of suicide attempts. More attention needs to be paid to the mental health of young people, especially those with worse socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms. Possible measures to address the problem are proposed.