The Relation Between Violence and Suicidality in Mexico: The Impact of Different Types of Violence in Suicidal Behaviour Detected by a Massive Mental Health Screening App (MeMind)

The construct of violence has scarcely been researched in relation to suicidality in Mexico. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of different types of violence (e.g., violence at home, non-suicidal self-injury) in suicidal behaviour (e.g., suicidal ideation, suicidal acts) of the citizens of the Yucatan State using a massive online screening approach through a smartphone application. A prospective cohort study design was undertaken during 2022 including 32,531 Mexican participants aged between 15 and 80 years old, which constituted the second wave of the SmartScreen project, through the TEDUCA survey. We selected as the main variables violence at home, non-suicidal self-injuries, and suicidal behaviour (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale; C-SSRS). A set of univariate regression analyses was performed for the entire sample connecting the variables with the C-SSRS. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression model was used. The model explained a significant portion of the variance in C-SSRS scores (<i>R</i>²adj = 0.3227) indicating the following as predictors affecting suicidality: perceived violence at home, followed by a history of NSSI, and previous mental health service attendance, among other associations between the sociodemographic predictors and suicidal behaviour. Significant interactions between perceived violence and NSSI history were also found. In conclusion, our study highlights the significant role of perceived violence at home and NSSI history in shaping suicide risk understood as the ideation and intention of suicidality among Yucatan citizens. The interaction between these factors and sociodemographic variables such as gender and age underscore the complex nature of suicide risk.