Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among youth and its occurrence among college students is a matter of great concern. Challenges of transitional adulting and mental illness increase the likelihood of suicidal cognition in students. The objective of present study was to investigate the prevalence of suicide ideation and associated factors in a representative sample of Brazilian college students (n = 12,245).
Methods: Data were drawn from a nationwide survey and further subjected to estimate the prevalence of suicide ideation and its association with socio-demographic and academic characteristics. We performed logistic regression analyses upon a conceptual framework, considering individual and academic factors.
Results: The point-prevalence of suicide ideation among college students was 5.9 % (SE = 0.37). In the final regression model, variables associated with the likelihood of suicide ideation were psychopathology, sexual abuse, and academic variables, such as dissatisfaction with the chosen undergraduate course (OR = 1.86; IC95 % 1.43-2.41) and low academic performance (OR = 3.56; IC95 % 1.69-7.48). Having children and religious affiliation were inversely associated with the likelihood of suicide ideation.
Limitations: Participants were recruited from state capitals, which limited data generalizability to non-urban college students.
Conclusions: The impact of academic life on the mental health of students should be carefully monitored in in-campus pedagogical and health services. Early identification of poor-performance students with social disadvantages could indicate vulnerable ones who are much in need of psycho-social support.
Keywords: Brazil; College students; Risk factors; Self-injurious behavior; Suicide; Young adult.
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