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Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among high-school students reporting substance use in Northwest Ethiopia: a
Getasew Kibralew1, Girum Nakie2, Tesfaye Segon1
1Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Science, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia.
Background:
Substance use and suicidal behavior among high-school students are important public health concerns. However, evidence on suicidal behavior among substance-using high-school students in Ethiopia is limited. This study assessed the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA) among substance-using high-school students in Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods:
A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted from 6 January to 14 February 2025 among 405 substance-using high-school students selected from 843 high-school students through multistage sampling. Suicidal behavior and associated factors were assessed using standardized instruments. Bivariable and Firth penalized multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.
Results:
The prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA) was 7.4% (95% CI: 4.9-9.8) and 4.4% (95% CI: 2.5-6.6), respectively. SI was associated with depression symptoms (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.54-9.89), family history of suicide (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 2.12-8.52), and khat chewing (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.01-4.29). SA was associated with female sex (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.03-10.12), family history of suicide (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.43-4.67), chronic medical illness (AOR = 3.60, 95% CI: 1.13-7.25), and stress (AOR = 3.07, 95% CI: 1.18-7.54).
Conclusion:
Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were reported among substance-using high-school students. Several socio-demographic, clinical, and substance-related factors were associated with suicidal behavior, highlighting the need for further longitudinal research.
