Prevalence and risk factors of suicide and their correlation with depression and anxiety among medical students: a Saudi multicenter study

Abstract

Introduction Medical training is a major source of stress for medical students, potentially affecting their mental well-being, and subsequently increasing their risk of mental disorders and suicide. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors of suicidality among medical students at four universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. The study tool consisted of a questionnaire developed by the research team along with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). Results The study included 450 medical students (251 females and 199 males). According to the C-SSRS, 28% of the participants reported death wishes, 8.2% reported suicidal ideation during the past month, and 10% were classified as having a moderate-to-high suicidality risk. Depressive symptoms were present in 38.7% of the participants, including 16.5% with moderately severe to severe depression; 61.8% reported anxiety, with 32.2% experiencing moderate to severe levels. Multivariable logistic regression identified severe depression (aOR = 14.54, 95% CI: 3.09–68.55), a history of abuse of any form (aOR = 4.22, 95% CI: 2.02–8.84), and mild anxiety (aOR = 3.29, 95% CI: 1.08–10.01) as independent predictors of moderate/high suicidality risk. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that suicidality is a concern among medical students and is associated with depression, anxiety, and other factors. These findings highlight the need to promote prevention and early detection to facilitate access to timely management, including mental health services.