Suicidal Ideation in Undergraduate Students of Social Work: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

There is a social and cultural problem related to suicide in advanced societies. From a professional point of view, social workers intervene to achieve social welfare and health for the people with whom they work without being exempt from suffering suicidal ideation themselves. The present research aims to analyze suicidal ideation in undergraduate students of Social Work. Through a quantitative methodology, this phenomenon is analyzed in a large sample of students belonging to Spanish universities (n=1005). In the statistical study, a frequency analysis, a cross-table analysis, and a binary logistic regression are developed, taking as reference the dependent variable: the risk of suicidal ideation. The predictor variables of suicidal risk are: sex, type of social relationships, bullying in previous stages, consumption of antidepressant medication, increased anxiety after COVID-19, and economic difficulties in continuing studies. Universities should not be oblivious to the problems of their students but should incorporate specific programs for the treatment and prevention of suicidal risk, promoting quality education about the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.