Suicidal Thought and Behaviors among Junior and Senior Medical Students

Background: Youth suicide is a major public health concern. Suicide statistics show an increase in the suicide rates among young students including medical students. To explore self-harming behavior among medical students at Yazd Azad University. Methods: Suicidal ideation in medical students studying at Yazd Azad University was explored within a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 200 students. For comparison purposes, the sample was divided into two groups of seniors (student intake from 2013/14), and juniors (student intake from 2017/18). Beck Suicide scale was used to measure suicidal behavior. Results: We found 16% of the participants exhibited suicidal ideation, of whom 87.5% demonstrated a low desire to commit suicide and 12.5% had a strong desire to commit suicide. In this data set, the relationship between “suicidal ideation” and “gender, marital status and grade” appeared statistically significant. Conclusion: To protect against suicide and reverse the rising trend, preventive strategies must focus on supporting students to feel comfortable in talking about their suicidal thoughts.