Psychological and socio-ecological correlates of 12-month suicide behavior among junior high school students in the greater Accra region of Ghana.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
; 59(9): 1553-1562, 2024 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38308709
ABSTRACT
AIM:
In Ghana, we know little about the epidemiology of suicide ideation, plan and attempts among junior high school (JHS) students in Ghana including the years preceding high school. This study explores the onset, characteristics, and recent patterns of 12-month suicide behavior among Ghanaian junior high school (JHS) students. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
Paper-based surveys were administered to a sample (n = 800) of junior high school students in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Self-reported measures on suicide ideation, plan and attempt as well as several psychological and psychosocial factors related to mental health, substance use, poverty, sexual behavior, interpersonal relationships, and family structure were employed. Bi-variate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 25).RESULTS:
This study found that 1 out of 5 adolescents have experienced suicide ideation in the last 12 months. Girls had significantly higher 12-month (χ2 = 3.5, p < 0.05) suicide ideation rates than boys. More importantly, the study found stress significantly increasing the odds of suicide behaviors in the last 12 months (ß = 1.14; CI = 1.05-1.24, p < 0.05) and parental support significantly reducing the odds of suicide behaviors in the last 12 months (ß = 0.86; CI = 0.81-0.91, p < 0.05). Additionally, we found significant associations between sexual intercourse, dating, hunger, substance use, suicide stigma and suicide behaviors.CONCLUSION:
This finding highlights a potential emerging suicide crisis among preteens which warrants attention. Additional studies are needed to observe these increasing trends and identify risk, protective and precipitating factors to help prevent suicide among these children.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Students
/
Suicide, Attempted
/
Suicidal Ideation
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
/
Soc. psychiatr. psychiatr. epidemiol
/
Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
Journal subject:
CIENCIAS SOCIAIS
/
EPIDEMIOLOGIA
/
PSIQUIATRIA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States
Country of publication:
Germany