Prevalence and determinants of suicide ideation among Lebanese adolescents: Results of the GSHS Lebanon 2005

Abstract

The current study examined prevalence and risk factors for suicide ideation in 5038 Lebanese adolescents using Global School Health Survey data. Around 16% of Lebanese adolescents thought of suicide. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that risk factors for suicide ideation included poor mental health (felt lonely, felt worried, felt sad or hopeless), substance use (got drunk, used drugs), victimization (was bullied, was sexually harassed), and lack of parental understanding. Recommendations for future research and interventions are discussed.

Gender moderates the association between polyvictimization and suicidal ideation among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates

“…Other correlates of suicidal ideation in the UAE GSHS were related to victimization, mental health characteristics, peer relations, lack of parental understanding, and risk behaviors (cigarette use and missing school without permission). This multitude of correlates is consistent with findings from other studies about adolescent suicidality in the Eastern Mediterranean region (Mahfoud et al, 2011;Itani et al, 2017), and other GSHS studies conducted from around the world (Page, Saumweber, Hall, Crookston, & West, 2013). It is worth mentioning that female smokers reported higher odds of suicidal ideation than male smokers in their respective adjusted models.…”

“…Existing studies in that region have either focused on violent behavior (Sibai, Tohme, Beydoun, Kanaan, & Sibai, 2009) or on suicidal ideation (Mahfoud et al, 2011;Itani, Jacobsen, & Kraemer, 2017) and have yet to examine the association between polyvictimization and suicidal ideation. The current study aims at bridging the gap in the literature by exploring the latter association in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).…”

“…Previous studies have linked suicidal ideation in adolescents to victimization (being bullied and physically attacked) (Barzilay et al, 2017;Mahfoud, Afifi, Haddad, & DeJong, 2011;Oppong Asante, Kugbey, Osafo, Quarshie, & Sarfo, 2017), psychological factors (depressive symptoms, feeling lonely and worried) (Strandheim et al, 2014;Ziaei et al, 2017;Peltzer & Pengpid, 2012), peer relations (having no close friends) (Mahfoud et al, 2011), lack of parental understanding (Peltzer & Pengpid, 2012;Mahfoud et al, 2011), and behavioral factors (cigarette smoking and missing school without permission) (Peltzer & Pengpid, 2012;Mahfoud et al, 2011).…”

Suicidal ideation in a community-based sample of elementary school children: A multilevel and spatial analysis

“…25 While some studies showed either a higher rate either among boys 7 or among girls, 15,26 our study found gender difference is insignificant, which was also found in other studies. 8,27,28 Rhodes et al 25 presented a comprehensive discussion on the reasons and timing of the gender effects in the prevalence and lethality of suicidal behaviours. The inconsistent findings might be partially explained by the shift in the interactive social network during adolescent development.…”

Arab Adolescents: Health, Gender, and Social Context

“…In Jordan, a national survey found depressive symptoms were common among students aged 14e25 years (66% reported sadness, 49% loss of joy, and 43% loss of hope) and were significantly higher among females than males [110]. GSHS surveys have found substantial levels of suicidal thoughts among students in the region [11], including 16% in Lebanon [111].…”