Ajibola Ayodele Olamide, Agunbiade Ojo Melvin
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Nigeria.
Community Health Equity Res Policy. 2022 Oct;43(1):45-58. doi: 10.1177/0272684X211004929. Epub 2021 Mar 31.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people aged 15 to 29 years of age. Ideation or suicidal thoughts , which precedes suicide is sometimes normalized and excused thereby missing avertable deaths within a given context. Understanding suicide ideation and the associated social correlates within contexts can provide cues on how to mitigate suicide. This paper examines the potential social factors that are shaping suicidal ideation among young people in two universities in Nigeria. Based on a mixed-method design, a survey was conducted among a proportionate sample of 500 young people (18-25years that are undergraduates). Four Focus Group Discussion sessions were also held among the same group and six semi-structured interviews with social workers at both universities. Quantitative evidence associated irregular financial support (OR = 0.60; p < 0.05) and broken intimate relationship (OR = 1.57; P < 0.05) with suicide ideation. Findings from the qualitative component also considered undergraduates that have academic challenges, engage in substance abuse, and have parents with marital problems to be prone to suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation among these young people is embedded in their network of relationships, which can be mitigated when the quality of support systems is responsive and adequately accessed.
自杀是15至29岁年轻人的主要死因之一。先于自杀的自杀意念或想法有时被正常化并被原谅，从而在特定背景下错失了可避免的死亡。了解自杀意念及其相关的社会关联因素可以为如何减轻自杀提供线索。本文研究了在尼日利亚两所大学中影响年轻人自杀意念的潜在社会因素。基于混合方法设计，对500名年轻人（18 - 25岁的本科生）进行了比例抽样调查。同时在同一群体中举行了4次焦点小组讨论会议，并对两所大学的社会工作者进行了6次半结构化访谈。定量证据表明，经济支持不稳定（OR = 0.60；p < 0.05）和亲密关系破裂（OR = 1.57；P < 0.05）与自杀意念有关。定性研究部分的结果还认为，面临学业挑战、有药物滥用问题以及父母存在婚姻问题的本科生更容易产生自杀意念。这些年轻人的自杀意念根植于他们的人际关系网络，当支持系统的质量能够做出响应并得到充分利用时，自杀意念是可以减轻的。
