SUICIDALITY: COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies suicidality, the experience of suicidal thoughts or behaviour including attempts, as an ongoing global public health concern. The WHO estimated that more than 79% of suicides in 2016 occurred in low to middle income nations, with 60% of these occurring in Asia. Suicides are often underreported and misclassified as death by other causes. As a result, obtaining accurate information is difficult. This problem is exacerbated in developing countries facing limited budgets, legislative barriers, and social stigma. These realities place greater responsibility on researchers to collect and interpret data. This study addressed this issue in a sample of 176 college students in Malaysia. The Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), which examines individual attitudes and behaviour concerning suicide, was administered and demographic information was collected on gender, age, ethnicity, and religion. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 25). Results showed no significant gender effects, but there were significant differences across religions. This is discussed in terms of buffering effects and minority-majority status. This study increases knowledge about suicidality among college students in Malaysia, a high-risk group. Recommendations for prevention and intervention and future research are included.