Personality Traits and Depressive Symptoms as Predictors of Suicidal Ideation Among Undergraduates in Lagos State

Abstract

Suicidal ideation is a key element in a process called suicidal behavior, and emerges as a trigger for suicide attempt, and committing suicide. In 2017, the World Health Organisation said 7,079,815 Nigerians suffered from one of the most ignored and misunderstood forms of mental disorder in the country — depression. The figure, according to the world health body, was 3.9 per cent of the country’s population, thereby making Nigeria the most depressed country in Africa. Hence, the study examines personality trait and depressive symptoms as predictors of suicide ideation among undergraduate students in Lagos State University as suicide has recently become a trending issue among Nigerian youths. A cross-sectional research design was adopted using survey method to collect data from the respondents. Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), Beck’s depression and positive and suicide ideation inventory was administered individually to the randomly selected four hundred and twenty undergraduate students (420) of the university. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using multiple regressions and one way ANOVA. The result revealed that personality traits and depressive symptoms jointly predicted suicide ideation among undergraduate students; depressive symptoms had significant independent influence on suicide ideation. Also, it was revealed that sex had no significant influence on suicide ideation. Thus, it was recommended that student’s mental health should be assessed and therapeutic treatment provided to students diagnosed with depression, support should be provided by the university to severely depressed students so as to avert suicide and any other mental health related disorder.