S T Tan1, M S Sherina2, L Rampal3, I Normala2. 1. Universiti Putra Malaysia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. sherina@upm.edu.my. 2. Universiti Putra Malaysia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. 3. Universiti Putra Malaysia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Community Health, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Undergraduate medical students have been the most distressed group among the student population. Depression and anxiety have been found to be more prevalent in this group of students compared to others. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and predictors of suicidality among undergraduate medical students in a public university. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted in a public university in Selangor, Malaysia. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from January to February 2013, and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (version 21). RESULTS: Out of 625 undergraduate medical students, 537 (85.9%) participated in the study. The prevalence of the suicidality among undergraduate medical students was 7.0%. The significant predictors of suicidality based on multiple logistic regression were the respondent's lifetime suicide attempts (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR 10.4, 95% CI 2.7 to 40.9); depression (AOR 5.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 23.0); breaking off a steady love relationship (AOR 5.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 22.4); hopelessness (AOR 4.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 21.6); and something valued being lost or stolen (AOR 4.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 15.9). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that mental health care services should be strengthened at university level. The results show a need for an intervention programme to reduce suicidality among the undergraduate medical students.
BACKGROUND: Undergraduate medical students have been the most distressed group among the student population. Depression and anxiety have been found to be more prevalent in this group of students compared to others. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and predictors of suicidality among undergraduate medical students in a public university. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted in a public university in Selangor, Malaysia. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from January to February 2013, and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (version 21). RESULTS: Out of 625 undergraduate medical students, 537 (85.9%) participated in the study. The prevalence of the suicidality among undergraduate medical students was 7.0%. The significant predictors of suicidality based on multiple logistic regression were the respondent's lifetime suicide attempts (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR 10.4, 95% CI 2.7 to 40.9); depression (AOR 5.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 23.0); breaking off a steady love relationship (AOR 5.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 22.4); hopelessness (AOR 4.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 21.6); and something valued being lost or stolen (AOR 4.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 15.9). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that mental health care services should be strengthened at university level. The results show a need for an intervention programme to reduce suicidality among the undergraduate medical students.
Authors: Lisa S Rotenstein; Marco A Ramos; Matthew Torre; J Bradley Segal; Michael J Peluso; Constance Guille; Srijan Sen; Douglas A Mata Journal: JAMA Date: 2016-12-06 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Fernanda Brenneisen Mayer; Itamar Souza Santos; Paulo S P Silveira; Maria Helena Itaqui Lopes; Alicia Regina Navarro Dias de Souza; Eugenio Paes Campos; Benedita Andrade Leal de Abreu; Itágores Hoffman Ii; Cleidilene Ramos Magalhães; Maria Cristina P Lima; Raitany Almeida; Mateus Spinardi; Patricia Tempski Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2016-10-26 Impact factor: 2.463