This study describes the prevalence of suicide ideation in 109 Global School-based Health Surveys (GSHS) conducted from 2003–2010 representing 49 different countries and 266,694 school-attending students aged 13–15 years primarily living in developing areas of the World. Prevalence of suicide ideation varied widely among and between countries, regions, and by gender, with an overall mean prevalence of suicide ideation of 15.3%. When grouped by region, Africa had the highest percentage of participants reporting suicide ideation (19.8%). The wide variability in the prevalence of suicide ideation found in this study confirms that school psychologists and counselors must be prepared to deal with the unique needs and characteristics of the specific populations of youth they serve, as the needs are likely to vary substantially from locality to locality, and country to country.
Abu-SabaM. (1999) War-related trauma and stress characteristics of American University of Beirut students. Journal of Traumatic Stress12: 201–207. doi: 10.1023/A:1024766920789.
2.
BaasherT. A. (2001) Islam and mental health. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal7: 372–376.
3.
BermanA. L. (2009) Commentary—school-based suicide prevention: Research advances and practice implications. School Psychology Review38(2): 2333–2338.
4.
BermanP. S.MoodyJ. (2004) Suicide and friendships among American adolescents. American Journal of Public Health94(1): 89–95. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.94.1.89.
5.
BrenerN. D.KannL.McMannusT.KinchenS. A.SundbergE. C.RossJ. G. (2002) Reliability of the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire. Journal of Adolescent Health31: 336–342. doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(02)00339-7.
6.
BridgeJ. A.GoldsteinT. R.BrentD. A. (2006) Adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology47(3/4): 372–394. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01615.x.
7.
BrownD. W.RileyL.ButchartA.MeddingsD. R.KannL.HarveyA. P. (2009) Exposure to physical and sexual violence and adverse health behaviours in African children: Results from the Global School-based Student Health Survey. Bulletin of the World Health Organization87: 447–455. doi: 10.2471/BLT.07.047423.
8.
BotegoN. J.BarrosM. B.de OliveiraH. B.DalgalarrondoP.Marin-LeonL. (2005) Suicidal behavior in the community: Prevalence and factors associated with suicidal ideation. Review of Brazilian Psychiatry27(1): 45–53.
CohenJ.MannarinoA. (2011) Supporting children with traumatic grief: What educators need to know. School Psychology International32(2): 117–131. doi: 10.1177/0143034311400827.
11.
Chen, P., Lee, L. K., Wong, K. C. & Kaur, J. (2005). Factors relating to adolescent suicidal behavior: A cross-sectional Malaysian school survey. Journal of Adolescent Health37(6), 460–66, doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2004.10.018.
EckersleyR. (1993) Failing a generation: The impact of culture on the health and well being of youth. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health29: 516–519. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1993.tb02254.x.
15.
EmamiH.GhazinorM.RezaeishirazH.RichterJ. (2007) Mental health of adolescents in Tehran, Iran. Journal of Adolescent Health41: 571–576. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.06.005.
16.
EvansE.HawtonK.RodhamK.DeeksJ. (2005) The prevalence of suicidal phenomena in adolescents: A systematic review of population-based studies. Suicide and Life-Threating Behavior35(3): 239–250. doi: 10.1521/suli.2005.35.3.239.
17.
FlemingL. C.JacobsenK. H. (2009) Bullying among middle-school students in low and middle income countries. Health Promotion International25(1): 73–84. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dap046.
18.
GoldsmithS. K.PellmarT. C.KleinmanA. M.BunneyW. E. (2002) Reducing suicide: A national imperative, Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
19.
GouldM. S.GreenbergT.VeltingD. M.ShafferD. (2003) Youth suicide risk and preventive interventions: A review of the past 10 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry42: 386–405. doi: 10.1097/01.CHI.0000046821.95464.CF.
20.
HawtonK. (2000) Sex and suicide: Gender differences in suicidal behavior. British Journal of Psychiatry177: 484–485. doi: 10.1192/bjp.177.6.484.
21.
HeathM. A.ColeB. V. (2011) Strengthening classroom emotional support for children following a family member’s death. School Psychology International33(3): 243–262. doi: 10.1177/0143034311415800.
22.
KalafatJ. (2003) School approaches to youth suicide prevention. American Behavioral Scientist46(9): 1211–1223. doi: 10.1177/0002764202250665.
23.
KaramE. G.MneimnehZ.KaramA.FayyadS.NasserS.ChatterjiR. (2006) Prevalence and treatment of mental disorders in Lebanon: A national epidemiological survey. The Lancet367: 1000–1006. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68427-4.
24.
KimJ.LeeK. (2010) The relationship of weight-related attitudes with suicidal behaviors in Korean adolescents. Obesity18: 2145–2151. doi: 10.1038/oby.2010.103.
25.
KirkcaldyB. D.EysenckM. W.SiefenG. R. (2004) Psychological and social predictors of suicidal ideation among young. School Psychology International25(3): 301–316. doi: 10.1177/0143034304046903.
26.
KutcherS. P.SzumillasM. (2008) Youth suicide prevention. Canadian Medical Association Journal178(3): 282–285. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.071315.
27.
La VecchiaC.LucchiniF.LeviF. (1994) Worldwide trends in suicide mortality, 1955–1989. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica90(1): 53–64. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01556.x.
28.
LeeS. Y.HongJ. S.EspelageD. L. (2010) An ecological understanding of youth suicide in South Korea. School Psychology International31(5): 531–546. doi: 10.1177/0143034310382724.
29.
LewinsohnP. M.RohdeP.SeeleyJ. R. (1996) Adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts: Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical implications. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice3: 25–36. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2850.1996.tb00056.x.
30.
LewinsohnP. M.RohdeP.SeeleyJ. R.BaldwinC. L. (2001) Gender differences in suicide attempts from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry40(4): 427–434. PMID:11314568.
31.
LittleS. G.Akin-LittleA.SomervilleM. P. (2011) Response to trauma in children: An examination of effective intervention and post-traumatic growth. School Psychology International32(5): 448–463. doi: 10.1177/0143034311402916.
32.
LiuX.TeinJ.ZhaoZ.SandlerI. N. (2005) Suicidality and correlates among rural adolescents of China. Journal of Adolescent Health37(6): 443–451. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2004.08.027.
33.
LotrakulM. (2005) Suicide in the north of Thailand. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand88(7): 944–948.
34.
McAuliffeC. (2002) Suicidal ideation as an articulation of intent: A focus for suicide prevention?Archives of Suicide Research6(4): 325–338. doi: 10.1080/13811110290114106.
35.
MillerD. N.EckertT. L. (2009) Youth suicidal behavior: An introduction and overview. School Psychology Review38(2): 153–167.
36.
MoscickiE. K. (1994) Gender differences in completed and attempted suicides. Annals of Epidemiology4(2): 152–158. doi: 10.1016/1047-2797(94)90062-0.
37.
NockM. K.BorgesG.BrometE. J.AlonsoJ.AngermeyerM.BeautraisA. (2008) Cross-national prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. British Journal of Psychiatry192: 98–105. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.040113.
38.
PageR. M. (2009) Using the Global-School-Based Student Health Survey to identify correlates of smoking in Chilean youth. International Electronic Journal of Health Education12: 253–270.
39.
PageR. M.YanagishitaJ.SuwanteerangkulJ.ZarcoE. P.Mei-LeeC.MiaoN. F. (2006) Hopelessness and loneliness among suicide attempters in school-based samples of Taiwanese, Philippine, and Thai adolescents. School Psychology International27(5): 583–559. doi: 10.1177/0143034306073415.
40.
PillaiA.AndrewsT.PatelV. (2009) Violence, psychosocial distress and the risk of suicidal behavior in young people in India. International Journal of Epidemiology38: 459–469. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyn166.
41.
ReesP.SeatonN. (2011) Psychologist’s response to crises: International perspectives. School Psychology International32(1): 73–94. doi: 10.1177/0143034310397482.
42.
SalujaG.IachanR.ScheidtP. S.OverpeckM. D.SunW.GieddJ. (2004) Prevalence of and risk factors for depressive symptoms among young adolescents. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine158: 760–765.
43.
SanbornC. J. (1990) Gender socialization and suicide: American Association of Suicidology presidential address, 1989. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior20: 148–155. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278X.1990.tb00097.x.
44.
ShiferawS.FantahunM.BekeleA. (2006) Psychosocial problems among students in preparatory school, in Dessie town, north east Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Health. Development20: 47–55.
45.
SimonT. R.SwannA. C.PowellK. E.PotterL. B.KresnowM.O’CarrollP. W. (2001) Characteristics of impulsive suicide attempts and attempters. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior32(Supplement): 49–59. doi: 10.1521/suli.32.1.5.49.24212.
46.
SunR. C. F.HuiE. K. P.WatkinD. (2006) Towards a model of suicidal ideation for Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. Journal of Adolescence29(2): 209–224. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2005.05.005.
47.
SwahnM. H.BossarteR. M. (2007) Gender, early alcohol use, and suicide ideation and attempts: Findings from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Journal of Adolescent Health41(2): 175–181. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.03.003.
48.
Theron, L., & Donald, D. (2013). Educational psychology and resilience in developing contexts: A rejoinder to Toland and Carrigan (2011). School Psychology International, 34(1), 51–66.
49.
United Nations Children’s Fund (2002) The state of the world’s children, New York, NY: United Nations Children’s Fund.
50.
VijakakumarL.JohnS.PirikisJ.WhitefordH. (2005) Suicide in developing countries (2): Risk factors. Crisis26(3): 112–119. doi: 10.1177/1010539509353113.
51.
WassermanD.ChengQ.JiangG. X. (2005) Global suicide rates among young people aged 15–19. World Psychiatry4(2): 114–120.
52.
WichstromL.RossowI. (2002) Explaining the gender difference in self-reported suicide attempts: A nationally representative study of Norwegian adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior32(2): 101–116. doi: 10.1521/suli.32.2.101.24407.
53.
World Health Organization. (n.d.) Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) purpose and methodology. Available at: Retreived March 6, 2010, from www.who.int/chp/gshs/methodology/en/index.html.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
