Risk factors for suicidal behavior in a university population in Brazil: A retrospective study

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate whether variables related to personal and academic characteristics, past history, habits, and addictions were associated with suicidal behavior. Medical records of patients attending the Outpatient Psychiatry Department at the State University of Maringá between July 2016 and December 2017 were included in this retrospective study. The studied population was divided into two groups: 80 employees and 158 students. After performing the univariate analysis using Pearson's chi-square test or Fischer's exact test, the variables with p < 0.30 were included in a multivariate analysis using the binary logistic regression's backward stepwise method. The covariates ‘childhood and adolescence maltreatment’ and ‘treatment phase’ were highlighted. The first variable acts as a predictor of suicide attempt, increasing its likelihood by 9.86 times in employees and 5.62 times in students. On the other hand, the treatment phase represents a risk in patients in the adjustment phase and it serves as a predictor of SITBs in employees and students, increasing its likelihood by 7.68 and 8.66 times, respectively.