Student Suicide Research Articles

On the Front Line: The Role of Physical Educators in Preventing Student Suicide

This article provides general information and guidance for physical educators, specifically related to their role in suicide prevention. It is the duty of school personnel to recognize the vital role they have in helping to prevent suicide, to promote healthy behaviors and positive relationships, and to appropriately talk about suicide and suicide attempts. Physical educators, therefore, should have knowledge of the risk factors, understand the underlying concepts of suicidal behaviors, be aware of their responsibility to help educate others, and provide meaningful teacher- and student-based modeling and mentoring opportunities in physical education programs.

Association Between Concussions and Suicidality in High School Students in the United States

ImportancePrior research has shown a statistically significant association between sustaining a concussion and suicidality in adolescents, but this prior research controlled for relatively few variables predictive of suicidality.ObjectiveTo examine whether sustaining a concussion remained a significant predictor of suicidality after controlling for relevant covariates (e.g., sexual abuse/assault, bullying, substance use, depression), hypothesizing that the relationship between concussion and suicidality would become non-significant after controlling for these variables.DesignThis study involved secondary data analysis of the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) System, a national cross-sectional study of adolescents. Analyses were stratified by gender.SettingA national sampling of U.S. high school students.ParticipantsEleven thousand two hundred sixty-two students in the YRBS database, including 5,483 boys and 5,779 girls.Exposure(s)Participants included in the analyses reported whether, in the last year, they experienced a concussion and/or suicidality.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcome was suicidality (i.e., ideation, planning, attempt), which was predicted by concussion in an unadjusted analysis and by concussion along with other risk factors in a multivariable analysis.ResultsThe final sample included 11,262 participants with available data on concussion and suicidality in the last year (14–18 years-old; 51.3% girls; 49.0% White). Per unadjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, there was a relationship between concussion and suicidal ideation [girls: OR = 1.46 (1.24, 1.73); boys: OR = 1.69 (1.41, 2.03)], planning (girls: OR = 1.39 [1.16, 1.66]; boys: OR = 1.76 [1.44, 2.14]), and attempt [girls: OR = 1.70 (1.32, 2.19); boys: OR = 3.13, (2.37, 4.15)]. These relationships became mostly non-significant after controlling for relevant risk factors for suicidality. The adjusted odds ratios showed no relationship between concussion and suicidal ideation [girls: OR = 1.11 (0.86, 1.44); boys: OR = 1.24 (0.92, 1.69)] or planning (girls: OR = 1.07 [0.82, 1.40]; boys: OR = 1.12 [0.82, 1.55]); but a significant relationship with suicide attempts in boys [OR = 1.98 (1.28, 3.04)], but not girls [OR = 1.05 (0.74, 1.49)].Conclusions and RelevanceThere was an association between concussion and suicidality in U.S. high school students; however, after controlling for other variables (e.g., depression, sexual abuse/assault, illicit drug use), there was no association between concussion and suicidality aside from a significant relationship between concussion and attempts in boys.

From the hidden to the obvious: classification of primary and secondary school student suicides using cluster analysis

BackgroundSuicide is one of the leading causes of death in children and youth. Using a sample of fatal suicides among school-aged students in Hong Kong, this study aimed to demonstrate how the classification of children and adolescent suicides into distinct subgroups using cluster analysis can alert us to the heterogeneous nature of the student suicide population and increase our understanding of multidimensional underlying causes. MethodsDeaths by suicide of Hong Kong primary and secondary school students occurring between 2013–16 were identified. Reports were acquired from the Coroner’s Court, Police Force, and Education Bureau in Hong Kong. Information about students’ sociodemographic characteristics, suicide circumstances, stressors, and risk factors was extracted and organized for analysis. Based on the indicated stressors (school, family, close relationship, social challenge, finance, risk behaviour, suicide exposure, others) and risk factors (health and mental health, history of self-harm, suicidality, and psychological maladjustment), cluster analysis was conducted to derive distinct profiles of student suicides.ResultsA four-cluster solution was found. Patterns of stressors, risk factors, background characteristics and suicide circumstances within each cluster were examined. Four distinct and meaningful profiles of student suicides were characterised as “school distress”, “hidden”, “family and relationship”, and “numerous issues”.ConclusionsFindings highlighted the need to approach student suicides in meaningfully differentiated ways. Gathering suicide report data and generating evidence that advances our knowledge of student suicide profiles are important steps towards early identification and intervention.

Impact of Depression on Anxiety, Well-being, and Suicidality in Mexican Adolescent and Young Adult Students From Mexico City

Background: Depression, anxiety, well-being, and suicidality are highly associated during adolescence and greatly predict mental health outcomes during adulthood. This study explored relationships between these variables among students from Mexico City.Methods: This representative cross-sectional study was carried out in education centers in Mexico City during the 2019-2020 academic year. Using a smartphone app, we implemented validated questionnaires for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), well-being (World Health Organization 5 Well-Being Index), and risk of suicide (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale). Partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed for the entire sample and after stratifying by gender.Results: Out of 3,042 students, 1,686 were females; mean age of the sample was 17.3 years. Compared to males, females had higher levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation and lower levels of self-perceived well-being. Structural equation models indicated that depression was the main predictor of the rest of the outcomes in the overall sample. The role of anxiety was heterogeneous across genders and not clearly correlated to suicidal behavior or well-being.Conclusions: Large-scale mental health screening using an online tool proved feasible, with high response rates. Depression was the most important factor influencing anxiety, suicidal behavior, and well-being in Mexican high school students. The roles of depression and anxiety were heterogeneous across genders.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04067076.

Developing Irelands first National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework for Higher Education.

This article focuses on the development of Ireland's first National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework for Higher Education. There is growing concern for student mental health in higher education nationally and globally. The majority of students are aged between 18 and 24, which is identified as a high-risk group for mental health difficulties. Recent surveys of student mental illness, mental distress, and low well-being have been recognized by the World Health Organization, the Union of Students in Ireland National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education, the My World survey and the My World 2 study. The Higher Education Authority in Ireland made a commitment to the Department of Health Connecting for Life (Ireland's National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015-2020) to form national guidelines for suicide prevention in higher education. In order to deliver on this commitment, The National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework was developed. The Framework is informed by international evidence and was the product of a collaborative cross sector and cross disciplinary team including health professionals, government representatives, educators, students, policy makers, community organizations, researchers and clinicians.

Mental health and suicidality in Afghan students after the Taliban takeover in 2021

BackgroundOn the 15th of August 2021, Kabul was captured by the Taliban, leading to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The present study investigated PTSD symptoms, depression, suicide risk and facets of positive mental health in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban take-over. MethodsA total of 214 Afghan university students (73.7% women; age in years: M(SD) = 23.92 (5.77)) took part in this cross-sectional study between August and November 2021. Self-report measures of PTSD, depression, suicide ideation/behavior, positive mental health, social support, and posttraumatic growth were used. ResultsSevere posttraumatic stress disorders symptoms were reported by 70%, clinically relevant depression symptoms were reported by 69.7% and significant suicide ideation/behavior was reported by 38.6% of the sample. Posttraumatic growth moderated the impact of depression on suicide risk. No interaction effects were found for positive mental health and social support. LimitationThe study focused on a specific group of highly educated and predominantly female Afghan students limiting the generalizability of the findings. ConclusionPTSD symptoms, depression and suicidality show an alarmingly high prevalence in this specific sample of Afghan students. Various protective factors seem to be insufficient to buffer the association between PTSD, depression and suicide risk.

Misleading News Coverage of Research Findings Poses a Risk to Youth Mental Health and Safety

Misleading News Coverage of Research Findings Poses a Risk to Youth Mental Health and Safety

Content analysis of reports of student suicide deaths in South African print medium newspapers

PurposeThe aim was to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of university student suicides in South Africa, using the World Health Organisation guidelines. Suicide among university students is a growing public health problem. The media has an important role to play in preventing student suicides by adhering to international best practice guidelines on ethical reporting of suicides.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a content analysis of print medium newspaper articles in the 13 most widely read English language South African newspapers from the period of January 2017 to January 2020.FindingsThe initial search yielded a total of 28 news reports, of which 19 met this study’s inclusion criteria and were analysed using content analysis. The quality of reporting showed both potentially harmful and helpful characteristics. Poor adherence to international reporting guidelines were found in the description of method and location of suicide, sensational headlines, publishing photos of the deceased, linking suicide to criminality, simplistic narration of the life events leading to the suicide and use of sensational and potentially triggering language. No reports adhered to all reporting guidelines. Findings suggests that there are widespread potentially unhelpful practices in the reporting of student suicides and a need for suicide prevention experts to work with journalists to promote critical reflexivity and ethical reasoning when writing about student suicides.Research limitations/implicationsThis study only included news reports published in English in the most widely read newspapers.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to systematically examine media reporting on suicide in South Africa.

Study protocol for the Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) project: a regionally based randomised trial of an integrated response to suicide risk among secondary school students

BackgroundSuicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians, accounting for one-third of all deaths in those under 25. Schools are a logical setting for youth suicide prevention activities, with universal, selective and indicated approaches all demonstrating efficacy. Given that international best practice recommends suicide prevention programmes combine these approaches, and that to date this has not been done in school settings, this study aims to evaluate a suicide prevention programme incorporating universal, selective and indicated components in schools.MethodsThis study is a trial of a multimodal suicide prevention programme for young people. The programme involves delivering universal psychoeducation (safeTALK) to all students, screening them for suicide risk, and delivering internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Reframe IT) to those students identified as being at high risk for suicide. The programme will be trialled in secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia, and target year 10 students (15 and 16 year-olds). safeTALK and screening will be evaluated using a single group pre-test/post-test case series, and Reframe IT will be evaluated in a Randomised Controlled Trial. The primary outcome is change in suicidal ideation; other outcomes include help-seeking behaviour and intentions, and suicide knowledge and stigma. The programme’s cost-effectiveness will also be evaluated.DiscussionThis study is the first to evaluate a suicide prevention programme comprising universal, selective and indicated components in Australian schools. If the programme is found to be efficacious and cost-effective, it could be more widely disseminated in schools and may ultimately lead to reduced rates of suicide and suicidal behaviour in school students across the region.

Suicide prevention for international students: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionThe existing literature demonstrates that international students face a variety of stressors and barriers that can heighten the risk of suicide. However, up to now, no research has sought to...

A Comparative Study on the First-Day Interview Psychological Test of Medical Students with and without Mental Illness

Background: Mental illness are common among medical students. Currently, there is increasingly emboldened literature around mental illness and suicide in medical students. More attention has begun to be paid about psychological screening of medical students. Objective: To analyze whether or not the psychological test on  the first day of interview can distinguish medical students without mental illness from those with mental illness. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 115 medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand. The psychological tests, 16 personality factors (PF) test, emotional intelligence (EQ) test, and draw a person test were used to measure psychological well-being of case group and control group on their first day of interview. There were 23 medical students with mental illness in the case group and 92 medical students without mental illness in the control group. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used to make the group comparisons. Results: The results obtained from statistical analysis indicated that relationship was important predictor of mental illness. Most students (56.52%) have mental illness on the fourth year. The demographic data revealed that female medical students had suffered more mental illness (1.8 times than males). On group comparisons, there was no statistically significant difference in demographic data between the case group and the control group. Conclusion: Mental illness appears to be common in medical students and varies by gender. Interpersonal relationship is an important predictor for mental illness in Thai medical students, and therefore, needs to be more carefully adopted when conducting psychological screening. A closer attention to applying more psychological tests that measure the students’ relationship is suggested when planning to address the mental health of medical students. Keywords: Medical students; The psychological test; Mental illness

A study to evaluate prevalence of mental stress among the medical students of a medical college in western India

Background: Mental health issues impact people's quality of life worldwide, and educational pressure, sadness, and depression have caused unprecedented risks to mental health among medical college students. The present study aims at finding the factors responsible for mental stress and suicide among medical students.Methodology: A cross-sectional research approach was used to assess the effect of stress on mental health among students. A total of 60 completed questionnaries were collected from random students and were used for the analysis. The survey included 17 close-ended questions targeting demographics, potential stressors, coping mechanisms, and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, and measuring depression, anxiety, and stress. The study's findings were analysed in Microsoft Excel, and descriptive statistics were calculated.Results: Frequency distribution showed that 22-23 year age group showed maximum stress (37.2%) amongst other age groups. The main factor responsible for anxiety and suicide in students includes academic pressure (40%), followed by relationship issues (8.3%). Around 45% of the population feel depressive for several days. Approximately 3.3% of the population has suicidal tendencies nearly every day and should be evaluated for suicide ideation by an expert and should be guided for counselling. Conclusion: The study exhibited 45% of the individuals to have at least one symptom of depression, anxiety, or stress. Overall, our results pointed out students' mental health problems and suggestions that may help build better mental health monitoring programs and treatment methods for the future.

Student Suicides in the Context of Online Education During COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Analysis of Media Reports.

Student Suicides in the Context of Online Education During COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Analysis of Media Reports.

Free Papers Compiled

Free Papers Compiled

Exploring of improvements on the step of post-intervention for a student suicide - a qualitative study focusing on the staffs in school -

본 연구의 목적은 교직원의 학생자살 사안에 대한 경험과 사후개입의 개선방안을 탐구하는 데에 있다. 이를 위해 학생자살 사후개입에 참여한 경험이 있는 교직원 7명을 목적 표집하여 심층 면담하였다. 자료 수집은 연구 참여자 7명의 심층 면담 내용을 녹음하여 문서화 하였다. 수집된 자료는 합의적 질적 연구 방법 (Consensual Qualitative Research)으로 분석하였다. 연구의 결과 영역 3개, 범주 7개, 주요 개념 20개가 도출되었다. ‘학생자살 사안의 경험’ 영역에서는 ‘사안 인식’, ‘업무 반응’ 2개의 범주가 도출되었다. ‘사후개입 업무수행의 고충’ 영역에서는 ‘체계 및 제도의 문제’, ‘매뉴얼 적용의 어려움’ 2개의 범주가 도출되었다. ‘사후개입에 필요한 단계별 지원방안’ 영역에서는 3개의 범주가 도출되었는데 ‘사전’, ‘사안 직후’, ‘추후’가 그것이다. 이에 따른 20개의 주요 개념을 연구 참여자의 진술과 함께 설명하였다. 이후 학생자살 사후개입의 개선방안에 대해 논의하고 연구의 한계점과 의의를 밝히고 제언하였다.

Trend and gender-based association of the Bangladeshi student suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic: a GIS-based nationwide distribution.

Students are one of the most vulnerable groups to suicide. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a Bangladeshi study was conducted assessing their suicide patterns regarding gender-based associations. But how has the pandemic changed the Bangladeshi students' suicide patterns is not studied yet, which is investigated herein. Besides, for the first time, this study provides GIS-based distribution of suicide cases across the country's administrative district. As Bangladesh has no suicide surveillance system, this study utilized media reporting suicide cases following the prior studies. A total of 127 students' suicide cases from March 2020 to March 2021 were finally analyzed after eliminating the duplicate ones, and data were synthesized following the prior studies. Arc-GIS was also used to distribute the suicide cases across the administrative district. Results revealed that female (72.4%; n = 92/127) was more prone to die by suicide than males. About 42.5% of the cases were aged between 14 and 18 years (mean age 16.44 ± 3.512 years). The most common method of suicide was hanging (79.5%; n = 101), whereas relationship complexities (15.7%), being emotional (12.6%), not getting the desired one (11%), conflict with a family member (9.4%), academic failure (9.4%), mental health problem (8.7%), sexual complexities (6.3%), scolded or forbidden by parents (3.9%) were the prominent suicide causalities. In respect to gender and suicide patterns, only the suicide stressor was significantly distributed, whereas the method of suicide was significantly associated with GIS-based distribution. However, a higher number of suicide cases was documented in the capital (i.e. Dhaka) and the northern region than in its surrounding districts. The findings reported herein are assumed to be helpful to identify the gender-based suicide patterns and suicide-prone regions in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic to initiate suicide prevention programs of the risky students.

Spiritual Exercise as Techne: Philosophy as a Way of Liberating Education

The study of education systems as social phenomena has led scholars to question the role of education in modern society. The question of how to improve education naturally leads to concerns about what is wrong with the present education system. If education is meant to elevate the next generation, how can it meet the goal of ensuring a meaningful existence for those being educated? Scholars have demonstrated that education has been reduced to a process of the construction of objects, where curriculum as techne commodifies students into products with market value. We propose that the tendency of interpreting techne as technology is a perspective of the modern age, and the rules of modern education are based on the rules of modern technology, under the guidance of the paradigm of productivity. We will introduce a broader interpretation of techne which frames it as the cultivation of virtue, i.e., virtue-techne. On this basis, education could be viewed as techne in the sense of praxis (practice, exercise), rather than as fabrication in the sense of production. We highlight the rising rate of student suicides in Taiwan in recent years, where we determine the education system lacks a focus on praxis. This article investigates alternative praxis-oriented notions of education, from Aristotle's cultivation of virtue to Hadot's "spiritual exercises," to advocate for a shift away from the production paradigm. Indebted to Heidegger, we clarify his "techne as revealing" by emphasizing two frameworks for education: The first, modern education being valued by its adherence to metrics based in the paradigm of production. The second, education as a process wherein its value is derived from the life context of the participating individual. Finally, as a comparative study, we explore the current state of education in Russia and Taiwan, and present the case of one high school in Taiwan which has adopted the practice of spiritual exercises in its curriculum, including a required hike to the peak of Taiwan's tallest mountain, to cultivate a sense of (and value for) the liberated life before its students graduate.

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide in Medical Students: Comparisons of Individuals without Suicidality, Ideators, and Planners.

The aim of this study was to explore the interpersonal–psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) in medical students. Higher levels of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness were expected in medical students with suicidality compared with medical students without suicidality, and a high level of acquired capability was expected in planners compared with ideators. Recruited for the study were 178 undergraduate medical students at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB): 95 subjects without suicidality, 24 subjects with lifetime suicidality, 28 subjects with recent suicidal ideation, and 26 planners. An ad hoc questionnaire evaluated the risk of suicide as well as the “Suicidal thoughts and wishes” item of the BDI-II. The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INS) measured thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB). The Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale (ACSS) measured notably fearlessness of death or pain tolerance and depression was rated using the revised version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Cognitive–affective symptoms of depression (CA-BDI) were assessed using six items of the BDI. Analyses of variance showed significant differences between groups for TB and PB but not for ACSS. Analyses of covariance, controlling for the CA-BDI scores, confirmed the significance of differences in TB and PB. Post hoc tests showed that (1) high levels of TB were characteristic of subjects with recent suicidal ideation and planners compared with subjects without suicidality; and (2) high levels of PB were characteristic of planners compared with the three other groups. Among the three characteristics of the IPTS, PB could be a strong predictor of severe suicide risk in medical students.

Prepare for intensifying COVID‐related student suicide risk and mental health needs

The months since the COVID‐19 lockdowns have been challenging for everyone, but particularly so for the mental health of young adults aged 18–24, along with communities of color, women (especially those with young children), and essential workers, all of whom are significantly represented at our institutions.

Under pressure: representations of student suicide in British documentary television

ABSTRACT This article examines what the representation of university student suicide in three British television documentaries reveals about media constructions of suicide and the pressures young people experience at university. Within these documentaries, student suicide is positioned as a risk endemic in a high pressure, high-cost performance culture. Young students are depicted as stressed and ‘on the edge’, either as a consequence of the academic pressure of university or the coalescence of academic, financial and social pressures. Debates about the responsibility of individuals and the accountability of institutions come to the fore as depictions of students as fully fledged and responsible adults jostle with the notion of students as ‘adults in transition’, at risk and in need of institutions to actively monitor and intervene in their lives. The documentaries offer insight into shifting media constructions of the student from ‘fun loving’ and ‘carefree’ to ‘under pressure’ and ‘at risk’. Within them, student suicide is positioned not only as a profound personal loss, but as an economic loss to a society neglecting its young people.