Volume 25, Issue 115, September 2021

Prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation and attempts among undergraduate medical students of Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study

Omar S Alhothali^1♦, Abdullah K Bahakim¹, Sanad M Alharthi¹, Abdullah K Alsaede¹, Saad M Alharthi¹, Imad A Aljahdali², Mokhtar M Shatla³

¹Sixth Year Medical Student, College of Medicine, Umm Alqura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
²Assistant professor, Department of Community and Pilgrims Health, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Alqura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
³Associate professor, Department of Community Medicine and pilgrims health, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Alqura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; & Associate professor, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt.

^♦Corresponding author
Sixth Year Medical Student, College of Medicine, Umm Alqura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Suicide is the second major cause of mortality amongst young adults, and medical studentsare vulnerable to suicidal ideation due to overwhelming distress resulting from academic and non-academic issues. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence rates of suicide ideation, behavior, and to find out their potential association with different factors among undergraduate medical students of Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2021 by posting an online survey on social media platforms (WhatsApp) to collect data on participants’ socio-demographics, and a validated English version of the Columbia-suicide severity rating scale (C-SSRS) to assess suicidal ideation and behavior as well as the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) scale to measure the level of burnout. Results: A total of 346 subjects responded to the questionnaire. Among study participants, suicide ideation and attempt was found to be 40.5% and 9.2%, respectively. Binary logistic regression revealed that students with a history of psychiatric disorders, high burnout, smokers, and those who had parental neglect were associated with higher risk of suicidal ideation (p < 0.05). The single greatest risk factor predisposing to suicidal ideation was smoking. This was followed by previous psychiatric disorders and parental neglect. Conclusions: High prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts was demonstrated among medical students. Mental health program should be provided to reduce suicidal tendencies among undergraduate medical students.

Keywords: Suicide Ideation, Burnout, Suicide Attempt.

Medical Science, 2021, 25(115), 2213-2221

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