Prevalence and Factors Associated With Suicidal Ideation Among Adult Eritrean Refugees in Northern Ethiopia.

Background: The present study assessed the prevalence of and factor associated with suicidal ideations among adult Eritrean refugees in Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 400 adult refugees living in the Mai-Aini refugee camp in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia from September 2019 to May 2020. The response variable was suicidal ideation and was measured using World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview. We applied bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to determine predictors for suicide ideations. Odds ratios and p-values were determined to check the associations between variables, and a p-value <0.05 was considered as a cut-off for statistical significance. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideations was 20.5% (95% CI: 16.4%, 24.5%). Having previous history of trauma [AOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4, 4.5], a history of chronic illness [AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 6.5], a family history of mental disorder [AOR = 3.08, 95% CI: 1.3, 7.06], and history of post-traumatic stress disorder [AOR = 5.7, 95% CI: 2.8, 11.5] were significantly associated with suicidal ideations. Conclusions: This study showed that during the stay in the refugee camp, there was a high prevalence of suicide ideations compared to the prevalence of suicide ideations among the general populations of Ethiopia, Europe, and China, and the lifetime pooled prevalence across 17 countries. Having previous history of trauma, a history of chronic illness, a family history of mental disorder, and history of post-traumatic stress disorder were the factors statistically associated with the suicidal ideation.

Suicide Attempts Among Adult Eritrean Refugees in Tigray, Ethiopia: Prevalence and Associated Factors.

PURPOSE: The present study assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with suicide attempts among adult Eritrean refugees in Tigray, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among adult refugees from February 2020 to April 2020. The exposure variables included socio-demographic, clinically related, and psychosocial characteristics, and substance use-related factors. We included 400 participants and recruited them via a systematic random sampling technique. The study participants were between 18 and 60 years old. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. We applied bivariable and multivariable logistic regression to determine predictors for suicide attempts. Multicollinearity was checked to test correlations among predictor variables, and the Hosmer and Lemeshow test (p>0.2) was conducted to check the fitness of the model. Odds ratios and p-values were determined to check the associations between variables, and a p-value <0.05 was considered as a cut-off for statistical significance. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicide attempts was 7.3% (95% CI: 4.8%, 9.8%). Having current symptoms of trauma (AOR=5.6, 95% CI: 2.1, 14.9), a family history of mental disorder (AOR=3.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 9.07), a history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (AOR=2.7, 95% CI: 1.01, 7.4), and severe hopelessness (AOR=3.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 12.7) were significantly associated with suicide attempts. CONCLUSION: This study showed that during the stay in the refugee camp, there was a high prevalence of suicide attempts compared to the prevalence of suicide attempts among the general populations of Ethiopia, Europe, and China, and the lifetime pooled prevalence across 17 countries. Current symptoms of trauma, PTSD, a family history of mental illness, and hopelessness were the factors statistically associated with the suicide attempt. Early screening, detection, and management of suicidal behavior, as well as appropriate mental healthcare, are warranted in refugee camps to reduce the number of suicide attempts.