Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries

Background: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are common among adolescents although their prevalence has predominantly been studied in high income countries. This study estimated the population prevalence of sui- cidal ideation and anxiety and their correlates with peer support, parent-adolescent re...

Celý popis

Podrobná bibliografie
Hlavní autor: Biswas, Tuhin
Médium: Článek
Jazyk:angličtina
Vydáno: ELSEVIER 2025
On-line přístup:https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1006
_version_ 1857448967838629888
author Biswas, Tuhin
author_facet Biswas, Tuhin
author_sort Biswas, Tuhin
collection institutional Repository
description Background: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are common among adolescents although their prevalence has predominantly been studied in high income countries. This study estimated the population prevalence of sui- cidal ideation and anxiety and their correlates with peer support, parent-adolescent relationship, peer vic- timization, conflict, isolation and loneliness across a range of low-income, lower-middle-income, upper- middle-income countries and high-income countries (LMICHICs). Methods: Data were drawn from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of adolescents aged 1217 years between 2003 and 2015 in 82 LM-HICs from the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. For those countries with repeated time point data in this study, we used data from the most recent survey. We estimated weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety by country, region and at a global level with the following questions:-“Did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide during the past 12 months?” and “During the past 12 months, how often have you been so worried about something that you could not sleep at night?”. We used multiple binary logistic regression to estimate the adjusted association between adolescent age, sex, socioeconomic status, peer support, parent-adolescent relationship, peer victimization, conflict, iso- lation and loneliness with suicidal ideation and anxiety. Findings: The sample comprised of 275,057 adolescents aged 1217 years (mean age was 14.6 (SD 1.18) years of whom 51.8% were females). The overall 12 months pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety were 14.0% (95% CI 10.017.0%) and 9.0% (7.012.0%) respectively. The highest pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was observed in the Africa Region (21.0%; 20.021.0%) and the lowest was in the Asia region (8.0%, 8.09.0%). For anxiety, the highest pooled prevalence was observed in Eastern Mediterranean Region (17.0%, 16.017.0%) the lowest was in the European Region (4.0%, 4.05.0%). Being female, older age, having a lower socioeconomic status and having no close friends were associated with a greater risk of suicidal ideation and anxiety. A higher levels of parental control was positively associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation (OR: 1.65, 1.451.87) and anxiety (1.53, 1.301.80). Parental understanding and monitoring were negatively associated with mental health problems. Similarly, the odds of experiencing suicidal ideation and anxiety were higher among adolescents who had been experiencing peer conflict (1.36, 1.241.50; 1.54, 1.401.70), peer victimization (1.26, 1.151.38; 1.13, 1.021.26), peer isolation (1.69, 1.531.86; 1.76, 1.611.92) and reported loneliness (2.56, 2.332.82; 5.63, 5.216.08). Interpretations: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are prevalent among adolescents although there is significant global variation. Parental and peer supports are protective factors against suicidal ideation and anxiety. Peer based interventions to enhance social connectedness and parent skills training to improve parent-child relationships may reduce suicidal ideation and anxiety. Research to inform the factors that influence country and regional level differences in adolescent mental health problems may inform preventative strategies. Funding: None
format Article
id 123456789-1006
institution Asian University for Women
language English
publishDate 2025
publisher ELSEVIER
record_format dspace
spelling 123456789-10062026-02-18T06:15:07Z Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries Biswas, Tuhin Background: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are common among adolescents although their prevalence has predominantly been studied in high income countries. This study estimated the population prevalence of sui- cidal ideation and anxiety and their correlates with peer support, parent-adolescent relationship, peer vic- timization, conflict, isolation and loneliness across a range of low-income, lower-middle-income, upper- middle-income countries and high-income countries (LMICHICs). Methods: Data were drawn from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of adolescents aged 1217 years between 2003 and 2015 in 82 LM-HICs from the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. For those countries with repeated time point data in this study, we used data from the most recent survey. We estimated weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety by country, region and at a global level with the following questions:-“Did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide during the past 12 months?” and “During the past 12 months, how often have you been so worried about something that you could not sleep at night?”. We used multiple binary logistic regression to estimate the adjusted association between adolescent age, sex, socioeconomic status, peer support, parent-adolescent relationship, peer victimization, conflict, iso- lation and loneliness with suicidal ideation and anxiety. Findings: The sample comprised of 275,057 adolescents aged 1217 years (mean age was 14.6 (SD 1.18) years of whom 51.8% were females). The overall 12 months pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety were 14.0% (95% CI 10.017.0%) and 9.0% (7.012.0%) respectively. The highest pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was observed in the Africa Region (21.0%; 20.021.0%) and the lowest was in the Asia region (8.0%, 8.09.0%). For anxiety, the highest pooled prevalence was observed in Eastern Mediterranean Region (17.0%, 16.017.0%) the lowest was in the European Region (4.0%, 4.05.0%). Being female, older age, having a lower socioeconomic status and having no close friends were associated with a greater risk of suicidal ideation and anxiety. A higher levels of parental control was positively associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation (OR: 1.65, 1.451.87) and anxiety (1.53, 1.301.80). Parental understanding and monitoring were negatively associated with mental health problems. Similarly, the odds of experiencing suicidal ideation and anxiety were higher among adolescents who had been experiencing peer conflict (1.36, 1.241.50; 1.54, 1.401.70), peer victimization (1.26, 1.151.38; 1.13, 1.021.26), peer isolation (1.69, 1.531.86; 1.76, 1.611.92) and reported loneliness (2.56, 2.332.82; 5.63, 5.216.08). Interpretations: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are prevalent among adolescents although there is significant global variation. Parental and peer supports are protective factors against suicidal ideation and anxiety. Peer based interventions to enhance social connectedness and parent skills training to improve parent-child relationships may reduce suicidal ideation and anxiety. Research to inform the factors that influence country and regional level differences in adolescent mental health problems may inform preventative strategies. Funding: None 2025-08-07T09:09:05Z 2025-08-07T09:09:05Z 2020 Article https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1006 en application/pdf ELSEVIER
spellingShingle Biswas, Tuhin
Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries
title Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries
title_full Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries
title_fullStr Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries
title_full_unstemmed Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries
title_short Global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation, anxiety and their correlates among adolescents: A population based study of 82 countries
title_sort global variation in the prevalence of suicidal ideation anxiety and their correlates among adolescents a population based study of 82 countries
url https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1006
work_keys_str_mv AT biswastuhin globalvariationintheprevalenceofsuicidalideationanxietyandtheircorrelatesamongadolescentsapopulationbasedstudyof82countries