Prevalence, risk factors, and severity of suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Suicidal ideation is a pressing public health concern, particularly among adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with suicidal ideation in urban Chinese adolescents, addressing an important gap in current research. Methods:This study employed an online survey to examine the demographic characteristics and mental health status of secondary school students in Lianyungang City. The assessment included the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to evaluate suicidal ideation in adolescents. Additionally, anxiety symptoms were assessed using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire, while social support was measured using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). Results:Among 3443 adolescents, the prevalence of suicidal ideation was 22.1%, with a significantly higher proportion of suicidal ideation among female adolescents than males (P < 0.001). Binary regression analysis revealed that female sex (OR = 1.828, 95% CI: 1.500–2.229, P < 0.001), anxiety symptoms (OR = 9.417, 95% CI: 7.006–12.659, P < 0.001), troubled parental relationships (OR = 1.988, 95% CI: 1.587–2.492, P < 0.001), and spending more than 5 hours on electronic devices weekly (OR = 1.582, 95% CI: 1.238–2.022, P < 0.001) were identified as risk factors for suicidal ideation. Conversely, family support was found to be a protective factor against suicidal ideation (OR = 0.890, 95% CI: 0.862–0.920, P < 0.001). Furthermore, older age, higher annual household income, and spending less than 5 hours per week using electronic devices were linked to a lower severity of suicide ideation; whereas female sex and anxiety symptoms were associated with a higher severity of suicidal ideation (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study highlights high adolescent suicidal ideation rates and recommends gender-specific interventions, anxiety management, family support, and addressing excessive electronic device use for improvement in well-being.