Prevalence and factors associated with suicidal ideation among undergraduate nursing students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Suicidal ideation is a major public health concern and an important indicator of suicide risk among university students. Undergraduate nursing students may be particularly vulnerable because of the combined academic, clinical, and emotional demands of nursing education. Despite growing concern regarding students’ mental health, evidence on the prevalence of suicidal ideation and its associated factors among nursing students in Jordan and Palestine remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and identify factors associated with suicidal ideation among undergraduate nursing students in Jordan and Palestine. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2025 among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in public and private universities in Jordan and Palestine. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and completed a structured online self-administered questionnaire comprising a researcher-developed sociodemographic questionnaire and the validated Arabic version of the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants’ characteristics and estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation. Spearman’s rank correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with suicidal ideation scores. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Results A total of 646 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Using a BSS cutoff score of ≥ 6, 490 participants (75.9%) were classified as having elevated suicidal ideation. Bivariate analysis demonstrated that previous history of mental illness, economic status, younger age, and sleep duration were significantly correlated with suicidal ideation scores. In the multiple linear regression analysis, previous history of mental illness (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), higher perceived economic status (β = 0.13, p = 0.001), and younger age (β = −0.10, p = 0.010) were independently associated with higher suicidal ideation scores. Sleep duration was not independently associated with suicidal ideation after adjustment for other variables ( p = 0.059). Conclusion Elevated suicidal ideation was highly prevalent among undergraduate nursing students in Jordan and Palestine. Previous history of mental illness, younger age, and higher perceived economic status were independently associated with higher suicidal ideation scores. These findings highlight the importance of implementing routine mental health screening, strengthening accessible psychological support services, and developing culturally appropriate suicide prevention strategies within nursing education programs to promote students’ mental well-being and facilitate early identification of those at increased risk.