Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors associated with suicidal ideation among youth living in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. Analyses are based on cross-sectional survey data, collected in 2014, of a convenience sample (n = 1134) of urban service-seeking youth participating in a Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in center. Logistic regression analyses were computed to determine the psychosocial factors associated with suicidal ideation. Among youth participants, 23.54% (n = 266) reported suicidal ideation in the past year. In the multivariable analysis, suicidal ideation was associated with being female (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.15, 2.25), reporting one (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.18) or two deceased parents (OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.35), ever living on the streets (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.86, 3.79), problem drinking (OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.80), sexually transmitted infection (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.21), ever being raped (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.20), and experiencing physical child abuse (OR: 2.40; 95% CI: 1.75, 3.27). Our findings underscore many unmet needs in this vulnerable population. However, strategies that specifically seek to address problem drinking—a modifiable risk factor for suicidal ideation—may be particularly warranted in this low-resource setting.
Highlights
Suicide is a major public health problem worldwide and the third leading cause of death for adolescents ages 15–19 [1]
30.6% prevalence of suicidal ideation among youth living in the slums of Kampala, Uganda [5]
To add to the limited research on suicidal ideation among youth in slums, the current study examines the psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation in a relatively large cross-sectional study of youth living in the slums of Kampala (n = 1134)
Summary
Suicide is a major public health problem worldwide and the third leading cause of death for adolescents ages 15–19 [1]. While there is a scarcity of literature on suicidality and associated risk factors in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a growing recognition of the problem and of suicidal ideation as a pressing problem [2]. To-date, most of the previous literature has focused on suicidal behavior and ideation in high-income Western countries [2]. Of high-school youth have reported suicidal ideation in the past year [3], whereas reports of suicidal ideation among youth in Uganda are much higher (27.9%) [4]. Youth living in the slums or on the streets may be at an even higher risk for both suicidal behaviors and ideation, which may be exacerbated by their dire environmental conditions [5,6,7,8,9].
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