Suicidal ideation among medical and surgical inpatients at South Gondar Public Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2023: a multicenter institution-based cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Suicide is a significant global public health issue impacting individuals, families, and communities across the world. People with medical and surgical conditions are at an elevated risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts. However, to the best of our knowledge, in Ethiopia, there has not been any published research that examines the magnitude and associated factors of suicidal ideation in this context. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation among medical and surgically admitted patients in South Gondar public hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2023. A multi-center institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in South Gondar public hospitals. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 616 individuals with a response rate of 98.2%. Suicidal ideation was measured using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview suicide module. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate binary logistic regressions were employed, with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The significance of the association was determined with a p-value of less than 0.05. The prevalence of suicidal ideation in this study was 24.7% (95% CI: 20.8, 27.7). Poor life satisfaction (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI, 1.63, 4.3), poor social support (AOR: 3.38; 95% CI; 1.97, 5.8), being female (AOR: 1.98; 95% CI; 1.19, 3.3), depression (AOR: 2.67; 95% CI; 1.67, 4.22), prior suicidal ideation and/or attempt (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI; 1.47, 5.1), having high perceived threat (AOR = 3.0; 95% CI; 1.69, 5.29), and having poor sleep quality (AOR: 2.54; 95% CI 1.5, 4.25) were significantly associated with suicidal ideation at p-value < 0.05. The prevalence of suicidal ideation is notably high among patients hospitalized in surgical and medical wards. Effective screening, timely intervention, and enhanced support systems are essential for individuals, particularly for females, with poor social support, high perceived threat, prior suicidal ideation and/or attempt, poor sleep quality, depression, and low life satisfaction.