Factors associated with the risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents transitioning to secondary school in Nairobi County, Kenya: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction adolescence is a transitory stage in the lives of young people. The transition from primary to secondary school among adolescents is associated with suicidal behavior but is not well characterized in the Kenyan context. This study sought to elucidate factors associated with the risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents aged 11-18 years in transition to secondary school. Methods a cross-sectional design was employed in the study that was conducted among adolescents in 5 randomly selected secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study involved 539 students who had joined form 1 in January 2020. Data were collected using the suicide behavior questionnaire-revised (SBQ-R) in March 2020. Factors associated with suicidal behavior were assessed using a generalized linear model (GLM), using a poisson distribution with a log-link function to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR), and a significance level of p=.05. Results one-fifth (20.04%) of adolescents with a median age of 14 years were at risk of suicidal behavior. Depression (aPR=3.16, C.I {1.85, 5.41}, p=0.001) and lifetime alcohol use (aPR=1.87, C.I {1.17, 2.97}, p=0.009) were found to be significant factors for suicidal behavior. Conclusion depression and lifetime alcohol use are associated with the risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents transitioning from primary to secondary school. Interventions may need to be targeted at the pre-secondary or primary school level to prevent underage alcohol use and enhancement of social support to prevent depression in this demographic of the population.

Factores de riesgo asociados a las conductas suicidas en adolescentes: un artículo de revisión

“…En relación a los principales hallazgos encontrados, Mokaya et al, Zelazny et (11)(12)(13)16), destacan que la presencia de TDAH (13) así como también los acontecimientos vitales estresantes, son predisponentes para el desarrollo de estos comportamientos de atentar contra la propia vida (9,15).…”

“…Por su parte, Rasheduzzaman et al y Silva et al encontraron que el consumo de sustancias psicotrópicas son predictores significativos tanto para la planificación como para los intentos de suicidio, pero no para la ideación suicida (14,15); sin embargo, Mokaya et al, en su estudio describieron que el consumo de alcohol a lo largo de la vida se asocia fuertemente con el riesgo de comportamientos suicidas ya sea esta para los intentos, ideación como también para el suicido consumado en los adolescentes (12).…”

Factores Asociados a la Ideación Suicida en Estudiantes Adolescentes: Una Revisión Sistemática

“…Para Mokaya et al (2022) además de la depresión está el consumo frecuente de alcohol y en los últimos 30 días antes del evento suicida en adolescentes. Para recopilar y medir estos factores se utilizaron instrumentos como el cuestionario de conducta suicida revisado (SBQ-R) y el modelo lineal generalizado (GLM).…”