Prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated factors among pregnant women attending ANC follow-up clinic in Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022

Suicide is a worldwide concern and ranks as the third leading cause of death among individuals of reproductive age. According to many findings, Ethiopia remains to suffer with a considerable number of suicide deaths and attempts, so more research on the prevalence of suicidal ideation is necessary. Since there is limited research available about suicide ideation/attempts specifically from the study area, evidence-based and solution-oriented research is necessary. This study sought to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and its contributing factors among pregnant women visited ante-natal care (ANC) at the University of Gondar Specialized Compressive Hospital. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 174 pregnant women who visit ante-natal care (ANC) at the University of Gondar Specialized Compressive Hospital, from June 01 to August 30, 2022. Participants were selected by using a systematic random sampling method. The World Mental Health (WMH) survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to measure suicidal ideation and attempt. The data was entered into SPSS version 25 for analysis, and descriptive and inferential statistics were done. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempt among pregnant women. Variables with a P value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant with 95% CI. In the current study 174 pregnant women were screened, and 168 volunteered to participate with a response rate of 96.5%. The finding showed that the prevalence of suicidal ideation and a suicidal attempt was 5.4% (95% CI: 1.8-8.9) and 4.8% (95% CI: 1.8-8.9) respectively. Unplanned pregnancy [AOR: 1.9(1.22-0.88)], history of abortion [AOR: 2.5(1.5-12.6)], history of stillbirth [AOR: 2.32(1.7-13.2)], HIV status of seropositive [AOR: 1.5(01.2-16.0)] and history of lifetime substance use [AOR: 1.6(1.3-12.0)] were significant positive predictors of prevalence of suicidal ideation. The study finding shows that the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among pregnant women was low. Unplanned pregnancy, history of abortion, history of stillbirth, HIV status of seropositive, and history of lifetime substance use were variables significantly associated with suicidal ideation among pregnant women.