Predictors of suicidal ideation in beninese adolescents

Objective: The purpose of this secondary analysis was to evaluate predictive factors for suicidal ideation in a population of adolescents in Benin. Methods: Analyses were based on a cross-sectional survey, the WHO's Global School-based Student Health Survey, which is a nationally representative sample of school-attending youth, conducted in 2009; n=2690. Participating students were aged 11 years and older. Students responded to survey questions concerning various behaviors and mental health, including a question asking if they had seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months. A binary logistic regression was performed using survey variables representing self-reported loneliness, physical attacks, and bullying victimization, which were examined as predictors for suicidal ideation. Results: The results of the secondary analysis support previous research in similar populations, which demonstrates that indicators of depressive symptoms and violence are significant predictors of suicidal ideation and behavior. Those who reported considering suicide did not have significantly greater odds of reporting having been bullied than those who did not consider suicide. Conclusions: The results of the secondary analysis newly demonstrate that indicators of depressive symptoms and violence are significant predictors of suicidal ideation and behavior in Beninese students. There is a need to reduce violence and promote good mental health to help prevent suicide, and school and local health officials may benefit from this new information. Future analyses to be performed by the authors using data from other countries in Africa will be useful to comparing trends in predictors of suicidal ideation.