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Prevalence and predictors of suicidality among medical students in a public university


Citation

Tan, Siew Tin and Mohd Sidik, Sherina and Gyanchand Rampal, Lekhraj Rampal and Ibrahim, Normala (2015) Prevalence and predictors of suicidality among medical students in a public university. Medical Journal of Malaysia, 70 (1). pp. 1-5. ISSN 0300-5283

Abstract

Background: Undergraduate medical students have been the most distressed group among the student population. Depression and anxiety have been found to be more prevalent in this group of students compared to others. Objective: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and predictors of suicidality among undergraduate medical students in a public university. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted in a public university in Selangor, Malaysia. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from January to February 2013, and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (version 21). Results: Out of 625 undergraduate medical students, 537 (85.9%) participated in the study. The prevalence of the suicidality among undergraduate medical students was 7.0%. The significant predictors of suicidality based on multiple logistic regression were the respondent’s lifetime suicide attempts (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR 10.4, 95% CI 2.7 to 40.9); depression (AOR 5.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 23.0); breaking off a steady love relationship (AOR 5.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 22.4); hopelessness (AOR 4.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 21.6); and something valued being lost or stolen (AOR 4.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 15.9). Conclusion: These findings indicate that mental health care services should be strengthened at university level. The results show a need for an intervention programme to reduce suicidality among the undergraduate medical students.


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Official URL or Download Paper: http://www.e-mjm.org/2015/v70n1/index.html

Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Publisher: Malaysian Medical Association
Keywords: Suicidality; Prevalence; Predictors; Medical students; Public university; Malaysia
Depositing User: Nurul Ainie Mokhtar
Date Deposited: 29 Dec 2015 07:33
Last Modified: 09 Aug 2017 05:27
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35033
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