The Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation among High School Students in Thailand and Its Potential Related Risk Factors

Abstract

Objectives: To examine prevalence of suicidal ideation in high school students and determine its potential related risk factors in a province in central Thailand. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, the study sample consisted of 437 students attending secondary schools in fall semester 2016 in a province in central Thailand. The students filled in a demographic questionnaire and the Suicidal Ideation’s scale Thai version with a consistency reliability coefficient of 0.81. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 20.6%. Among these with suicide ideation, 4.1% were with a very high suicide risk or were determined to commit suicide. Smoking was the highest potential risk factor, followed by inadequate budget for daily expense and studying in junior high school level. Gender, living with parents and parent’s marital status were not associated with suicidal ideation. Students who were smoking and having insufficient budget for daily expense had the risk of suicidal ideation 3.6 and 2.8 times of their counterparts, respectively. In addition, students in a senior high school level were less likely to have suicidal ideation compared with those in their junior years. Conclusion: The prevalence of suicidal ideation among high school students in Thailand was relatively high. Strategies to stop smoking and alleviate the suffering related to insufficient budget for daily expense should be targeted to young adolescents, especially those in junior high school levels. Keywords: daily expense, high school students, smoking, suicidal ideation, Thailand