THE PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF SUICIDAL TENDENCIES IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MOOD DISORDERS: A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH

Background: Suicidal behavior is a major public health concern and a leading cause of death among individuals with severe mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Understanding the prevalence and predictors of suicidal tendencies in this population is essential for effective prevention and intervention strategies. Objective: To examine the prevalence of suicidal tendencies and identify key demographic and clinical predictors among patients diagnosed with severe mood disorders using a quantitative research approach. Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted involving 300 patients diagnosed with MDD or BD from three psychiatric hospitals from Quetta AJK and Peshawar of Pakistan. Data were collected using standardized instruments including the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression to identify significant predictors of suicidal tendencies. Results: Among the participants, 47.3% exhibited moderate to high suicidal ideation. Significant predictors of suicidal tendencies included high depression severity (p < .001), history of previous suicide attempts (p = .002), comorbid substance use (p = .014), and low social support (p = .006). Demographic variables such as age, gender, and diagnosis type were not significant predictors after adjusting for clinical variables. Conclusion: The study highlights a high prevalence of suicidal tendencies among individuals with severe mood disorders. Clinical factors such as depression severity, prior suicide attempts, substance use, and social support levels are more critical predictors than demographic variables. These findings emphasize the need for comprehensive suicide risk assessments and targeted interventions in psychiatric care settings.