The role of social support and spiritual wellbeing in predicting suicidal ideation among marginalized adolescents in Malaysia

Abstract

Background The high number of adolescents and young adults harbouring suicidal ideation, as reported by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, is alarming. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the association between social support and spiritual wellbeing in predicting suicidal ideation among Malaysian adolescents. Methods A total of 176 adolescents in selected urban areas in the states of Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor were selected. The Suicide Ideation Scale (SIS) was used to measure the level of severity or tendency of suicidal ideation. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used to measure the perceived social support received by the respondent while the Spiritual Wellbeing Scale (SWBS) was used to measure the religious wellbeing (RWB), the existential wellbeing (EWB) and the overall score of spiritual wellbeing (SWB). Results The study found that both RWB and EWB showed significant negative correlation with suicidal ideation. Similarly, support from family and friends also showed a negative correlation with suicidal ideation. Further analysis using multiple regressions showed that RWB and SWB, and family support predict suicidal ideation in adolescents. Conclusion Spiritual wellbeing in combination with family support plays a major role in predicting suicidal ideation. Therefore, intervention for encompassing spirituality and family support may contribute to a more positive outcome in suicidal adolescents.

The state of psychiatric research in the Asia Pacific region

“…Park, Oh, et al, 2019; Zhong et al, 2019), electroconvulsive therapy, validations of translated scales (C.‐S. Ang, 2020; Cheung, Yeo, Chong, Khoo, & Wee, 2019; Din et al, 2019; Khairani, Ahmad, Ismail, & Aman, 2020; N. T. P. Pang, Kamu, et al, 2020), stigma (Ibrahim, Amit, et al, 2019; Sun et al, 2019) and child and adolescent psychiatry (Adib et al, 2019a, 2019b; A. L. Ang, Wahab, Abd Rahman, Hazmi, & Md Yusoff, 2019; Chhoa et al, 2019; Ibrahim, Amit, et al, 2019; Ibrahim, Che Din, et al, 2019; Ramachandram, 2019). These studies reflect the local differences in cultural, language, and resource availability that renders the practice of psychiatry in this region unique when compared with others.…”

Relationship Between Debt and Depression, Anxiety, Stress, or Suicide Ideation in Asia: A Systematic Review

“…World Health Organization ( 2018 ) estimates that South-East Asia has the second highest suicide rate compared to other regions. Evidence of this prevailing issue can be seen in Malaysia, whereby 31.3% of adolescents have suicide ideation (Ibrahim et al, 2019 ) which correlates positively with depression, anxiety, and stress (Ibrahim et al, 2014 ). Hence, a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to these mental health issues is needed, especially debt.…”

The Direct and Indirect Effects of Online Social Support, Neuroticism, and Web Content Internalization on the Drive for Thinness among Women Visiting Health-Oriented Websites

“…If we disentangle the indirect effect that positively affects the drive for thinness from the direct effect, we find that support negatively affected the drive for thinness. To interpret this finding, we should acknowledge that perceived support helps to increase overall well-being [74][75][76], which decreases the tendency for unhealthy and disordered eating habits [77,78]. Thus, perceived online social support can actually function as both a risk and a protective factor.…”