Prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among health sciences students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among health sciences students represent a growing concern that requires a systematic evaluation of their global prevalence.

Objective

To determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among health sciences students through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, and EMBASE. Studies that used validated instruments for suicide risk assessment, including standardized scales and self-reports, were considered eligible. Studies could employ either probabilistic or non-probabilistic sampling, with no restrictions on language. Stratified meta-analyses were performed according to assessment instrument and time frame, and meta-regression was conducted by year of study.

Results

Of 1277 identified records, 38 studies met the eligibility criteria. Suicidal ideation assessment was conducted using two instruments: the Beck Scale, which assesses lifetime suicidal thoughts, showing a prevalence of 14.09 % (95 % CI: 11.39–17.02 %), and item 9 of the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), which evaluates death thoughts in the past two weeks, with a prevalence of 19.18 % (95 % CI: 12.65–26.69 %). Suicide attempts, evaluated by time frame, showed a prevalence of 7.06 % (95 % CI: 4.35–10.35 %) for "lifetime" and 4.45 % (95 % CI: 2.62–6.71 %) for the "past 12 months. " Temporal meta-regression showed no significant trends.

Conclusions

The prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among health sciences students is substantial, varying by assessment instrument and time frame. These findings, though affected by considerable heterogeneity across studies and limited representativeness of samples, underscore the need to implement systematic screening and prevention programs in health sciences educational institutions.