Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University Medical School, 1438 S Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024 Sep;59(9):1553-1562. doi: 10.1007/s00127-024-02613-5. Epub 2024 Feb 3.
In Ghana, we know little about the epidemiology of suicide ideation, plan and attempts among junior high school (JHS) students in Ghana including the years preceding high school. This study explores the onset, characteristics, and recent patterns of 12-month suicide behavior among Ghanaian junior high school (JHS) students.
Paper-based surveys were administered to a sample (n = 800) of junior high school students in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Self-reported measures on suicide ideation, plan and attempt as well as several psychological and psychosocial factors related to mental health, substance use, poverty, sexual behavior, interpersonal relationships, and family structure were employed. Bi-variate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 25).
This study found that 1 out of 5 adolescents have experienced suicide ideation in the last 12 months. Girls had significantly higher 12-month (χ = 3.5, p < 0.05) suicide ideation rates than boys. More importantly, the study found stress significantly increasing the odds of suicide behaviors in the last 12 months (β = 1.14; CI = 1.05-1.24, p < 0.05) and parental support significantly reducing the odds of suicide behaviors in the last 12 months (β = 0.86; CI = 0.81-0.91, p < 0.05). Additionally, we found significant associations between sexual intercourse, dating, hunger, substance use, suicide stigma and suicide behaviors.
This finding highlights a potential emerging suicide crisis among preteens which warrants attention. Additional studies are needed to observe these increasing trends and identify risk, protective and precipitating factors to help prevent suicide among these children.
在加纳，我们对初中（JHS）学生自杀意念、计划和尝试的流行病学知之甚少，包括高中之前的几年。本研究探讨了加纳初中（JHS）学生 12 个月内自杀行为的发病、特征和近期模式。
对加纳大阿克拉地区的 800 名初中学生进行了基于纸张的调查。使用了与心理健康、物质使用、贫困、性行为、人际关系和家庭结构相关的自杀意念、计划和尝试以及其他一些心理和社会心理因素的自我报告措施。使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS 版本 25）进行了双变量、多变量和逻辑回归分析。
本研究发现，每 5 名青少年中就有 1 名在过去 12 个月中经历过自杀意念。女孩的 12 个月自杀意念率明显高于男孩（χ=3.5，p<0.05）。更重要的是，研究发现压力显著增加了过去 12 个月内自杀行为的几率（β=1.14；CI=1.05-1.24，p<0.05），而父母支持则显著降低了过去 12 个月内自杀行为的几率（β=0.86；CI=0.81-0.91，p<0.05）。此外，我们还发现了性接触、约会、饥饿、物质使用、自杀耻辱感和自杀行为之间的显著关联。
这一发现凸显了青少年中潜在的新兴自杀危机，值得关注。需要进一步研究来观察这些上升趋势，并确定风险、保护和促成因素，以帮助预防这些儿童自杀。
