Abstract
Objective:to identify the prevalence of suicidal behavior in young university students.Method:a systematic review with meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies based on the Joanna Briggs Institute proposal, and carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO and LILACS databases and in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, with no language or year restrictions. A total of 2,942 publications were identified. Selection, data extraction and methodological evaluation of the studies were performed by two independent researchers. The meta-analysis was performed considering the random effects model.Results:eleven articles were included in this review. The prevalence variation for suicidal ideation was from 9.7% to 58.3% and, for attempted suicide, it was from 0.7% to 14.7%. The meta-analysis showed a 27.1% prevalence for suicidal ideation in life, 14.1% for ideation in the last year, and 3.1% for attempted suicide in life.Conclusion:the high prevalence of suicidal behavior, even with the considerable heterogeneity of the studies, raises the need to implement interventions aimed at preventing suicide and promoting mental health, especially in the academic environment.
Highlights
The University is a space for political, social and professional training that enables the construction of fundamental knowledge about a given area and favors the development of skills inherent to the professional’s performance
The objective of this study is to identify the prevalence of suicidal behavior in young university students
The descriptive findings pointed to a high prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide in young university students, more pronounced in women
Summary
The University is a space for political, social and professional training that enables the construction of fundamental knowledge about a given area and favors the development of skills inherent to the professional’s performance. Unsatisfactory adaptation to this context can lead to mental distress in the life of this young person(1-2). In addition to these issues, it is highlighted that the academic setting can generate a competitive environment among the students. The requirement to excel, the excessive hour load of academic subjects and work, and unharmonious relationships with the professors can generate tension and overload, as well as trigger mental illness in the student, in addition to contributing to an increased suicide risk(2). Suicidal behavior is a complex phenomenon that includes ideation, attempted and consummated suicide, and is related to biological, psychological, social and environmental factors(3). It is necessary to know the circumstances in which suicidal behavior arises to prevent the factors that cause it(5)
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