Abstract:
International data reveal that medical students are at higher risk
of attempting suicide than the general population. We aimed
to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt
among South African medical students from three universities and
identify key predisposing risk factors. Data were collected via a
questionnaire to medical students on demographics, mental health
history, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and attempt. A total
of 874 medical students from three universities were enrolled. We
found a high prevalence of suicidal ideation (32.3%) and suicidal
attempt (6.9%), which is three times higher than the general
age-appropriate South African population. Simple screening
questionnaires can identify such students, enabling universities to
provide targeted and improved support for at-risk students.
