[Suicide ideation and its influential factors among primary and junior high school students in rural areas of Anhui province].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the suicide intention and its influential factors among primary and junior high school students in rural areas of Anhui province, in order to provide evidence for early intervention related to mental health problems.

METHODS

All students from 3 junior high and 5 primary schools in Changfeng county of Anhui were recruited as the study subjects using the cluster sampling method. Data were collected by using Children's Depression Inventory, the Family APGAR Index, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire, the Children's Self-Esteem Scale, Social Anxiety Scale for Children, and the Quality of Life Scale. Chi-square test and Logistic regression were used to analyze the suicidal ideation and its influential factors respectively.

RESULTS

8.64% (252/2917) of the studied children had suicidal ideation. Out of them, 9.80% (166/1694) and 7.03% (86/1223) were left-behind or non-left-behind children. There was statistically significant difference on suicide ideation between the left-behind children and non-left-behind children (P = 0.015). Data from the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that social anxiety and negative coping style were the risk factors for suicidal ideation (P < 0.05) while better family function and quality of life were the protective factors of suicidal ideation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Suicide ideation was relatively prevalent among rural children in Anhui province. Family, school and society should carry out different kinds of preventive measures to prevent suicide related behaviors in children from this area.