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Suicidal Behavior and Psychological Distress in University Students: A 12-Nation Study Publisher Pubmed



Eskin M1 ; Sun JM2 ; Abuidhail J3 ; Yoshimasu K4 ; Kujan O5 ; Janghorbani M6 ; Flood C7 ; Carta MG8 ; Tran US9 ; Mechri A10 ; Hamdan M11 ; Poyrazli S12 ; Aidoudi K10 ; Bakhshi S6 Show All Authors
Authors
  1. Eskin M1
  2. Sun JM2
  3. Abuidhail J3
  4. Yoshimasu K4
  5. Kujan O5
  6. Janghorbani M6
  7. Flood C7
  8. Carta MG8
  9. Tran US9
  10. Mechri A10
  11. Hamdan M11
  12. Poyrazli S12
  13. Aidoudi K10
  14. Bakhshi S6
  15. Harlak H13
  16. Moro MF8
  17. Nawafleh H14
  18. Phillips L7
  19. Shaheen A15
  20. Taifour S5
  21. Tsuno K4
  22. Voracek M9

Source: Archives of Suicide Research Published:2016


Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of suicidal behavior and psychological distress in university students across 12 nations. A total of 5,572 university students from 12 countries were surveyed about suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and psychological distress by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Almost 29% of the samples reported having contemplated suicide and 7% reported attempting suicide. Of the total sample, 51.1% scored above the General Health Questionnaire-12≥3 cut-off points, 41.6% above the GHQ-12≥4 cut-off points, and 33.8% scored above the GHQ-12≥5 cut-off points. While odds of suicide ideation were elevated in Austria and the UK, reduced ORs were detected for China, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey. Similarly, while odds of suicide attempt were high in Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and to some extent in Turkey, reduced ORs were observed for Austria, China, Italy, Japan and the United States. Elevated ORs for psychological distress were seen in Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey but reduced ORs were noted in Austria, China, Iran, Italy, and the United States. Psychological distress was strongly associated with reports of suicide ideation and attempts. Suicide ideation, suicide attempt, and psychological distress are common in university students but their rates vary depending on the sociocultural context. Due attention should be devoted to the mental health needs of young adults enrolled in higher educational institutions and more cross-cultural research is warranted to better understand the etiology of the observed intersocietal variations in suicidal behavior and psychological distress. © 2016, Routledge. All rights reserved.
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