Suicidal Ideation among Nepalese Adolescents

Abstract

Suicide has become a serious public health problem globally, contributing to around 800,000 deaths every year. It has become a major public health issue in low-income underdeveloped countries like Nepal. The present study was conducted with 325 school students, whose ages ranged from 13 to 17 years, from grade nine to class eleven, from Bhaktapur city using a purposive sampling technique. The Suicidal Ideation Scale developed by Dr. Devendra Singh Sisodia and Dr. Vibhuti Bhatnagar was employed for the study. The study showed that 52.6% (171) of the participants were male students and 47.4% (154) were female students, with a mean age of 14.92 0.85. Age 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 were represented by 4%, 27.4%, 40.9%, 27.1%, and 0.6%, respectively. Participants from nine classes made up 37.8% (123) of the total, 28.0% (91) of the total, and 34.2% (111) of the total. There were no respondents to a high and very high level of suicidal ideation. The suicidal ideation of very low, low, and average percentages were 2.5%, 33.2%, and 64.3%. This study showed that average suicidal ideation is prevalent among Nepalese adolescents. The factors associated with suicidal ideation are age, education grade (class), and religion. A multidisciplinary approach may play a key role in preventing suicides among adolescents.