TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychological and socio-ecological correlates of 12-month suicide behavior among junior high school students in the greater Accra region of Ghana
AU - Azasu, Enoch Kordjo
AU - Quarshie, Emmanuel Nii Boye
AU - Messias, Erick
AU - Larnyoh, Marcus
AU - Ali, Elizabeth
AU - Joe, Sean
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - 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 and Methods: 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 (χ 2 = 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 (β = 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 (β = 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.
AB - 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 and Methods: 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 (χ 2 = 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 (β = 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 (β = 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.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Ghana
KW - Mental health
KW - Suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183681425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00127-024-02613-5
DO - 10.1007/s00127-024-02613-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85183681425
SN - 0933-7954
JO - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
JF - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
ER -