Risk factors towards self-destructive behaviour among fresh students at Makerere University

It has been suggested that some individuals are suicide prone, and that such individuals can be detected long before they commit suicide. This paper reports the risk factors associated with potential self-destructive behaviour among a group of freshmen and freshwomen at Makerere University. A suicide proneness questionnaire, the Umzimkulu Suicide Proneness Inventory (USPI), was completed by 619 students admitted to the university in the academic year 1992/93. The results indicate that students' propensity to self-destructive behaviour was significantly related to the history of suicide behaviour among the students, or their relatives, and the presence of a probable depressive disorder as indicated by scores above at least 60 on each of SR, AL, AS, and PDW, scales on the questionnaire. The paper describes in detail the development of the USPI, and the theory underlying the study. Implications for improving counselling services for students at Makerere University are highlighted.