Non-fatal suicidal behaviour, depression and poverty among young men living in low-resource communities in South Africa

Psychological and socio-ecological correlates of 12-month suicide behavior among junior high school students in the greater Accra region of Ghana

AIM

In Ghana, we know little about the epidemiology of suicide ideation, plan and attempts among junior high school (JHS) students in Ghana including the years preceding high school. This study explores the onset, characteristics, and recent patterns of 12-month suicide behavior among Ghanaian junior high school (JHS) students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Paper-based surveys were administered to a sample (n = 800) of junior high school students in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Self-reported measures on suicide ideation, plan and attempt as well as several psychological and psychosocial factors related to mental health, substance use, poverty, sexual behavior, interpersonal relationships, and family structure were employed. Bi-variate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 25).

RESULTS

This study found that 1 out of 5 adolescents have experienced suicide ideation in the last 12 months. Girls had significantly higher 12-month (χ2 = 3.5, p < 0.05) suicide ideation rates than boys. More importantly, the study found stress significantly increasing the odds of suicide behaviors in the last 12 months (β = 1.14; CI = 1.05-1.24, p < 0.05) and parental support significantly reducing the odds of suicide behaviors in the last 12 months (β = 0.86; CI = 0.81-0.91, p < 0.05). Additionally, we found significant associations between sexual intercourse, dating, hunger, substance use, suicide stigma and suicide behaviors.

CONCLUSION

This finding highlights a potential emerging suicide crisis among preteens which warrants attention. Additional studies are needed to observe these increasing trends and identify risk, protective and precipitating factors to help prevent suicide among these children.

The global burden of suicidal behavior among people experiencing food insecurity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity has become a growing burden within a global context where climate change, catastrophes, wars, and insurgencies are increasingly prevalent. Several studies have reported an association between suicidal behaviors (i.e., suicide ideation, plans, and attempts) and food insecurity. This meta-analytic review synthesized the available literature to determine the pooled prevalence of suicidal behaviors among individuals experiencing food insecurity, and examined the strength of their association.

METHODS

Databases (Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL) were searched from inception to July 2022 using appropriate search terms. Eligible studies reporting the number/prevalence of suicidal behaviors among individuals experiencing food insecurity or the association between food insecurity and suicidal behaviors were included. The pooled prevalence of suicidal behaviors was determined using the random-effects model. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022352858).

RESULTS

A total of 47 studies comprising 75,346 individuals having experienced food insecurity were included. The pooled prevalence was 22.3 % for suicide ideation (95 % CI: 14.7-29.9; I2 = 99.6 %, p < 0.001, k = 18), 18.1 % for suicide plans (95 % CI: 7.0-29.1; I2 = 99.6 %, p < 0.001, k = 4), 17.2 % for suicide attempts (95 % CI: 9.6-24.8; I2 = 99.9 %, p < 0.001, k = 12), and 4.6 % for unspecified suicidal behavior (95 % CI: 2.8-6.4; I2 = 85.5 %, p < 0.001, k = 5). There was a positive relationship between experiencing food insecurity and (i) suicide ideation (aOR = 1.049 [95 % CI: 1.046-1.052; I2 = 99.6 %, p < 0.001, k = 31]), (ii) suicide plans (aOR = 1.480 [95 % CI: 1.465-1.496; I2 = 99.1 %, p < 0.001, k = 5]), and (iii) unspecified suicide behaviors (aOR = 1.133 [95 % CI: 1.052-1.219; I2 = 53.0 %, p = 0.047, k = 6]). However, a negative relationship was observed between experiencing food insecurity and suicide attempts (aOR = 0.622 [95 % CI: 0.617-0.627; I2 = 98.8 %, p < 0.001, k = 15]). The continent and the countries income status where the study was conducted were the common causes of heterogeneity of the differences in the odds of the relationships between experiencing food insecurity and suicidal behaviors - with North America and high-income countries (HICs) having higher odds. For suicide attempts, all non HICs had a negative relationship with food insecurity.

LIMITATIONS

There was significant heterogeneity among the included studies.

CONCLUSION

There is a high prevalence of suicidal behaviors among individuals experiencing food insecurity. Initiatives to reduce food insecurity would likely be beneficial for mental wellbeing and to mitigate the risk of suicidal behaviors among population experiencing food insecurity. The paradoxical finding of suicide attempts having a negative relationship with food insecurity warrants further research.

A positive correlation between daily spiritual practice and reduced depressive symptoms among older adults: evidence from a nationally representative survey among the Indian population

BACKGROUND

This study explored the factors associated with daily spiritual experiences of older adults and the association of daily spiritual experiences with major depressive disorder among older Indian adults.

METHODS

Data for this study were derived from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave-1. The sample size was 31 464 older adults age 60 years and above. Daily spiritual experience was assessed from four items (Cronbach's alpha: 0.89) adapted from the daily spiritual experience scale (DSES). Major depressive disorder was calculated using the Short Form Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF). Descriptive, bivariate and multivariable forward stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to fulfil the objectives of the study.

RESULTS

A proportion of 87.46% of older adults reported daily spiritual experiences in the study. Women had higher odds of spiritual experiences than men (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.243; confidence interval (CI): 1.041-1.484). Older adults with higher education, those who were retired, those who reported community involvement or were physically active or belonged to the richest wealth quintile had higher odds of having daily spiritual experiences in comparison to older adults from the poorest wealth quintile. Further, older adults with daily spiritual experiences had significantly lower odds of major depressive disorder (aOR: 0.810; CI: 0.681-0.964) than older adults who did not report daily spiritual experiences.

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that daily spiritual practices can be a strategy to reduce major depressive symptoms and improve mental health and wellbeing of older adults, and future studies are warranted on this direction.

Food Insecurity and Suicidal Behaviors Among US High School Students

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity (FI) rates in the United States are particularly high among households with children. This research set aims to analyze if high school students experiencing FI had higher risk for mental health and suicidal behaviors.

METHODS

Using combined data from 11 states that conducted the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a total of 26,962 and 24,051 high school students were used to estimate race/ethnicity and sex-stratified prevalence ratios (PRs) from Poisson regression models. A single-question was used to measure the exposure of FI and outcomes of mental health and suicidal behaviors.

RESULTS

Overall, 10.8% of students reported FI. Students experiencing FI had increased risk for all mental health and suicide behavior outcomes, regardless of their race/ethnicity or sex. PRs ranged from 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.8, 2.0) to 3.1 (CI: 2.7, 3.6). Among males, PRs for the association between FI and all outcomes were highest among non-Hispanic black students (PRs ranged from 2.4 [CI: 1.7, 3.2] to 5.5 [CI: 2.3, 13.3]). Among females, PRs were highest among non-Hispanic white students (PRs ranged from 1.9 [CI:1.7, 2.1] to 3.6 [CI:2.9, 4.5]).

CONCLUSIONS

FI is consistently associated with mental health and suicidal behaviors among different subgroups of students.

Prevalence and psychosocial factors associated with self-injurious thoughts among people living with HIV presenting for HIV testing in Mozambique

Self-injurious thoughts have been associated with psychiatric morbidity and suicide. Little is known about psychosocial factors associated with self-injurious thoughts among people newly diagnosed with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined whether food insufficiency, mental health symptoms, or social support were associated with recent self-injurious thoughts among people newly diagnosed with HIV in Mozambique. The sample included 2001 PLWH aged ≥ 18 newly diagnosed with HIV at 10 health clinics in Mozambique between April 2013 and June 2015. Data were collected at time of HIV diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression modeled the association of social support, affective mental health symptom severity, somatic mental health symptom severity, and food insufficiency on recent self-injurious thoughts. Ten percent of respondents reported recent self-injurious thoughts, which was higher among women than men (11% vs 7%). In multivariable analyses, food insufficiency [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.7 (95% CI 1.3, 2.2)], and low [aORvs no = 4.8, 95% CI 1.7, 13.4) and moderate/high affective symptom severity [aORvs no = 8.7, 95% CI 2.8, 27.6) were associated with greater odds of self-injurious thoughts. Interventions to address self-injurious thoughts should consider accompanying psychosocial stressors. Longitudinal research to examine mechanisms through which psychosocial stressors are associated with self-injurious thoughts is warranted.

Childhood factors associated with suicidal ideation among South African youth: A 28-year longitudinal study of the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort

BACKGROUND

Although early life factors are associated with increased suicide risk in youth, there is a dearth of research on these associations for individuals growing up in disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We documented the association between individual, familial, and environmental factors in childhood with suicidal ideation among South African youth.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We used data from 2,020 participants in the Birth to Twenty Plus (Bt20+) study, a South African cohort following children born in Soweto, Johannesburg from birth (1990) to age 28 years (2018). Suicidal ideation was self-reported at ages 14, 17, 22, and 28 years, and the primary outcome of interest was suicidal ideation reported at any age. We assessed individual, familial, and socioeconomic characteristics at childbirth and during infancy, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) between ages 5 and 13 years, and externalizing and internalizing problems between 5 and 10 years. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) of suicidal ideation for individuals exposed to selected childhood factors using logistic regression. Lifetime suicidal ideation was reported by 469 (23.2%) participants, with a 1.7:1 female/male ratio. Suicidal ideation rates peaked at age 17 and decreased thereafter. Socioeconomic adversity, low birth weight, higher birth order (i.e., increase in the order of birth in the family: first, second, third, fourth, or later born child), ACEs, and childhood externalizing problems were associated with suicidal ideation, differently patterned among males and females. Socioeconomic adversity (OR 1.13, CI 1.01 to 1.27, P = 0.031) was significantly associated with suicidal ideation among males only, while birth weight (OR 1.20, CI 1.02 to 1.41, P = 0.03), ACEs (OR 1.11, CI 1.01 to 1.21, P = 0.030), and higher birth order (OR 1.15, CI 1.07 to 1.243, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with suicidal ideation among females only. Externalizing problems in childhood were significantly associated with suicidal ideation among both males (OR 1.23, 1.08 to 1.40, P = 0.002) and females (OR 1.16, CI 1.03 to 1.30, P = 0.011). Main limitations of the study are the high attrition rate (62% of the original sample was included in this analysis) and the heterogeneity in the measurements of suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study from South Africa, we observed that early life social and environmental adversities as well as childhood externalizing problems are associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation during adolescence and early adulthood.

Do more stress and lower family economic status increase vulnerability to suicidal ideation? Evidence of a U-shaped relationship in a large cross-sectional sample of South Korean adolescents

It is widely held in socio-behavioral studies of suicide that higher levels of stress and lower levels of economic status amplify suicidal vulnerability when confronted with a proximal stressor, reflecting the traditionally prevalent understanding in health psychology and sociology that associates adverse life circumstances with undesirable mental health outcomes. However, upon reflection, there are strong theoretical reasons to doubt that having more stress or being in a more stressful environment always increases suicidal vulnerability given the occurrence of a crisis. Using large nationally representative public survey data on South Korean adolescents, I show that the association between recent psychosocial crisis and suicidal ideation often gets stronger with more favorable levels of perceived stress and improving levels of family economic status. Overall, the increase in the probability of suicidal ideation from recent exposure to a psychosocial crisis is consistently the smallest around medium levels of stress or family economic status and larger at low or high levels. A supplementary exercise suggests that the identified moderation effects operate mainly in virtue of individual-level stress or family economic status in the relative absence of contextual influences at the school level. The findings present preliminary evidence of the stress inoculation hypothesis with regard to suicidal ideation. Research on suicidal vulnerability could benefit from increased attentiveness to the mechanisms through which being in an adverse or unfavorable life situation could protect against the suicide-inducing effects of proximal stressors.

The impact of food insecurity on mental health in Africa: A systematic review

In 2018, 676.1 million people in Africa (52.5% of the population) were moderately or severely food insecure. This exceptionally high prevalence continues to increase as Africa experiences conflict, climate change, and economic declines. When Sustainable Development Goal 2.1 set out to end hunger and ensure access to sufficient food, particularly for vulnerable populations, by 2030, food insecurity emerged as a global priority. Food insecurity has been hypothesized to negatively impact mental health, a stigmatized area of health in Africa for which care is often inaccessible. This systematic review examines existing literature on the relationship between food insecurity and mental health in Africa, where progress remains to be made on both fronts. A systematic search of seven databases (EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsychINFO ProQuest, Medline Ovid, Scopus, and Nursing and Allied Health) was conducted. Results were limited to studies examining food insecurity and mental health, written in English and published between January 2000 and May 2020. After title, abstract, full-text review, and quality appraisal using tools from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 64 studies remained. Findings were summarized using a narrative synthesis approach. Studies unanimously highlighted that food insecurity is associated with poor mental health. This relationship was dose-responsive and independent of the measured mental health outcome. Two highly represented groups in the literature were women around pregnancy and people affected by HIV/AIDS. Factors which mediated the relationship included age, sex, social interactions, physical health, seasonality, and rural residence. The findings suggest that the relationship is likely amplified in specific populations such as women and seniors, and interventions which target livelihood as opposed to income may be more effective. Further research is needed which compares food insecurity's effect on mental health between at-risk populations, in order to guide resource allocation and context-specific policy making.

Distress, desperation and despair: anxiety, depression and suicidality among rural South African youth

Common mental disorders (CMDs) affect millions of people worldwide and impose a high cost to individuals and society. Youth are disproportionately affected, as has also been confirmed in South Africa. Mental disorders and substance use disorders often occur as concurrent disorders. Although youth in rural South Africa grow up in difficult social and economic conditions, the study of mental disorders in South Africa has focussed primarily on urban populations. One such rural area in South Africa is the Harry Gwala District, where rates of interpersonal violence and self-inflicted injuries among 15-24-year-old men, are extraordinarily high. Suicide is an important proxy measure of severe emotional distress, predominantly depression and hopelessness. This study reports on rates of fatal self-harm among 15-24-year-old men in the Harry Gwala District. We determined the rates and severity of CMDs and their correlates among 355 young males ranging in age from 14 to 24 years in the Harry Gwala District community. High rates of depression, anxiety, hopelessness and worthlessness were reported. One in four of the young men and boys reported current suicidal thoughts associated with depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness and binge drinking. Reports of alcohol use were high, as were those of daily cannabis use. Our findings show high rates of CMDs and alcohol use, and highlight the impact of collective dysphoria on the mental well-being of rural youth in South Africa, who are likely coping through drug and alcohol use.