Prevalence of suicidal behaviors and associated factors among Peruvian adolescent students: an analysis of a 2010 survey

Association between love breakup and suicidal ideation in Peruvian medical students: a cross-sectional study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective

We aimed to determine the association between a major romantic breakup and suicidal ideation in medical students from three universities in Peru.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted during the first pandemic wave in 2021 on medical students from three universities in northern Peru. The outcome was suicidal ideation, measured with question nine of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were also used to assess mental health symptoms. The exposure was the experience of a major love breakup during the pandemic. In addition, its association with other covariates (age, sex, family members infected with COVID-19, deceased family members with COVID-19, insomnia, and anxiety, among others) was examined.

Results and discussions

Out of 370 students, 19.5% reported a major love breakup during the pandemic (95%CI: 15.5-23.8), and 34.3% had suicidal ideation (95%CI: 29.4-39.4). Having a major love breakup was associated with a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation (PR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.32-1.67, p < 0.001). Moderate insomnia (PR: 2.56, 95%CI: 1.70-3.87, p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (PR: 1.94, 1.10-3.44, p = 0.023) were also associated with suicidal ideation.

Conclusion

Our study provides evidence of a significant association between a major love breakup and suicidal ideation. This finding emphasizes the need for further research to better understand this association and inform the development of effective suicide prevention policies in medical education.

Binge drinking and suicidal ideation in Peruvian adolescents: Evidence from a pooled cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking and suicidal ideation are public health problems that have consequences on the well-being of Peruvian adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between binge drinking and suicidal ideation in Peruvian adolescents.

METHODS

A secondary data analysis of the health questionnaire of the Demographic and Family Health Surveys from 2013 to 2019 was performed. The outcome variable was suicidal ideation in the last 14 days, assessed with one of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) questions, while the independent variable was binge drinking in the last 30 days. Generalized linear models of the Poisson family with logarithmic link (crude and adjusted) were used to assess the association of interest.

RESULTS

Data from a total of 11,609 participants were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was 8.5 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 7.8-9.2), and that of binge drinking was 5.8 % (95 % CI: 5.2-6.5). An association was found between binge drinking and suicidal ideation in the adjusted analysis (adjusted prevalence ratio: 2.95; 95 % CI: 1.69-3.09).

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for establishing a causal relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Between 2013 and 2019, nine out of every 100 Peruvian adolescents had suicidal ideation, and six out of every 100 adolescents had binge drinking. An association was found between both risk behaviors in Peruvian adolescents.