Objective: To investigate the prevalence of self-reported suicidal behavior in university students and to compare the related risk factors between two selected groups.
Methods: A questionnaire survey on situation of suicidal behavior and risk factors was conducted among 9808 university students.
Results: The overall rate of suicide attempts among university students was 1.7%. Factors as suicidal attitude, having associates who had suicidal experience and negative life events, were significantly different between groups with or without suicide attempts. Risk factors on suicidal behavior were as follows: high frequency of feeling hopeless in the last year (OR = 4.23, 95%CI: 3.05 - 5.85), first degree relatives with suicide behavior (OR = 2.85, 95%CI: 1.72 - 4.73), having associates with suicide behavior (OR = 2.82, 95%CI: 2.05 - 3.88), having had sexual experience (OR = 2.73, 95%CI: 1.88 - 3.96), daily live being influenced by the existing psychological problems in the last month (OR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.80 - 3.56), being female (OR = 2.47, 95%CI: 1.77 - 3.45) and having other relatives with suicide behaviors (OR = 2.36, 95%CI:1.63 - 3.41).
Conclusion: Psychological, biological and social factors had influenced on suicidal behaviors among university students which all called for effective intervention to be implemented.