Abstract
BackgroundBangladeshi university students are considered to be highly suicide-prone compared to other populations and cohorts. However, no prior epidemiological studies have assessed the suicidality (i.e., past-year suicidal ideation [SI], lifetime suicide plan [SP], and lifetime suicide attempt [SA]) among Bangladeshi students, including the variables such as past-year stressful life events and family mental health history. This is arguably a major knowledge gap in the country. Therefore, the present study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a convenience sampling method among a total of 1844 university students between October and November 2019. Data were collected based on the information related to socio-demographics, perceived health-related questions, past-year stressful life events, family mental health history, and suicidal behaviors (i.e., SI, SP, and SA). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data utilizing SPSS statistical software.ResultsThe prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide plans, and suicide attempts were 13.4%, 6.0%, and 4.4%, respectively. Females reported significantly higher suicidal behavior than males (i.e., 20.6% vs.10.2% SI; 9% vs. 4.6% SP; and 6.4% vs.3.6% SA). Risk factors for SI were being female, year of academic study, residing in an urban area, using psychoactive substances, experiencing both past year physical and mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, experiencing campus ragging (i.e., senior students abusing, humiliating and/or harassing freshers or more junior students), experiencing family mental illness history, and having family suicide attempt history. SP was associated with several factors including being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substance, experiencing both past-year physical and mental illness, and experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events. Risk factors for SA were being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substances, experiencing past-year mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, and having family suicide attempt history.ConclusionsUniversity students appear to be a vulnerable group for experiencing suicidal behaviors. The present findings warrant rigorous action and early intervention programs such as counseling and other mental health professional services by university authorities. Longitudinal studies are highly recommended involving countrywide representative samples.
Highlights
Suicidal behaviors can be defined as individuals experiencing repeated thoughts of killing themselves life, planning to kill themselves, and actual efforts to kill themselves, while suicide refers to killing themselves
University students appear to be a vulnerable group for experiencing suicidal behaviors
The sample comprised 70% males, 84.9% came from a village area, 16.7% were cigarette smokers, 3.3% were psychoactive substance users, 10.4% had suffered from physical illnesses in the past year, and 8.4% had experienced mental health psychological suffering
Summary
Suicidal behaviors can be defined as individuals experiencing repeated thoughts of killing themselves life (suicidal ideation), planning to kill themselves (suicide plan), and actual efforts to kill themselves (suicide attempt), while suicide refers to killing themselves. Suicide has become a global public health problem and accounts for nearly 800,000 deaths among all age groups every year [3] Of these suicides, 79% of all cases occur in low-income and middle-income countries like Bangladesh [3]. No prior epidemiological studies have assessed the suicidality (i.e., past-year suicidal ideation [SI], lifetime suicide plan [SP], and lifetime suicide attempt [SA]) among Bangladeshi students, including the variables such as past-year stressful life events and family mental health history. This is arguably a major knowledge gap in the country. The present study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students
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