Determinants of Suicide Ideation among University Students in Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Many risk factors have been proven to influence students' suicidal ideation, which can lead to suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study aimed to find suicide ideation rates among students and the determinant factors that influence them. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design with 236 respondents from 5 random private universities in July-August 2023. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21, the Oslo Social Support Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Revised Suicide Ideation Scale were utilised in this study. Chi-square/Fisher's exact test and multiple logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with students' suicide ideation. Results: The high suicide ideation rate among students is 16.95%. Self-esteem and social support were also significantly related to suicide ideation, with p=0.035 and p=0.003, respectively. Stress, anxiety, and depression also showed a significant relationship with suicide ideation (all p<0.001). Further analysis showed that the factor predictors associated with suicide ideation were high anxiety (OR 15.960; 95% CI 7.201-35.374; p<0.001), high stress (OR 10.259; 95% CI 4.797-21.938; p<0.001), and depression (OR 18.455; 95% CI 8.220-41.430; p<0.001). Conclusion: The determining factors that influence suicide ideation are social support, anxiety, stress, and depression. Community mental health nurses should collaborate with academic institutions to create an early detection program for suicide ideation in students. The program would be observed by nurses, who would then provide the required nursing interventions to prevent suicide.