Suicidal ideation and associated factors among school-going adolescents in rural Uganda

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  • Rudatsikira, Emmanuel
    • Other Affiliation: Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and Global Health, Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, Loma Linda, California, USA
  • Muula, Adamson S
    • Other Affiliation: Department of Community Health, University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
  • Siziya, Seter
    • Other Affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University of Zambia, School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
  • Twa-Twa, Jeremiahs
    • Other Affiliation: Principal Medical Officer, Child Health Division, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
Abstract
  • Abstract Background Mental health is a neglected area of health research and practice in most of sub-Saharan African countries where the largest burden of morbidity is from infectious diseases. This even occurs despite the fact that some mental health problems may arise from infectious diseases. Methods We conducted secondary analysis of the Uganda Global School-Based Health Survey-2003 to obtain the prevalence of, and assess factors that may be associated with suicidal ideation among school-going adolescents in rural Uganda. Assessment of association was conducted through both bi-variate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Altogether 21.6% of the study participants, 21.3% males and 23.5% females had seriously considered committing suicide within the past 12 months. Loneliness, worry were positively associated with suicide ideation after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, drinking, and experience of having been bullied (OR = 1.59; 95% CI [1.12, 2.26] and OR = 1.19; 95% CI [1.12, 2.25]) respectively. Males were less likely to seriously consider committing suicide than females (OR = 0.70; 95% CI [0.50, 0.98]). Conclusion Adolescent suicidal ideation is a major public health issue in rural Uganda. Measures aimed to prevent adolescent suicides in Uganda should incorporate our understanding of factors that are associated with suicide in rural Uganda such the gender disparity and the association observed with substance use.
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Resource type
  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Rights holder
  • Emmanuel Rudatsikira et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
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Journal title
  • BMC Psychiatry
Journal volume
  • 7
Journal issue
  • 1
Page start
  • 67
Language
  • English
Is the article or chapter peer-reviewed?
  • Yes
ISSN
  • 1471-244X
Bibliographic citation
  • BMC Psychiatry. 2007 Nov 23;7(1):67
Publisher
  • BioMed Central Ltd
Access right
  • Open Access
Date uploaded
  • August 24, 2012

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