PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDAL IDEATION AS EXPRESSED BY UNDERGRADUATES AT UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

Abstract

This study was designed to find out the psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation as expressed by undergraduates at University of Ilorin. Descriptive survey design was used to select 400 respondents using accidental sampling technique. The instrument was a researchers-designed questionnaire, titled: ”Psychosocial Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (PRFSIQ)”. The reliability was ascertained by test-retest method with coefficient of 0.88. Mean and rank order was used to answer the research question while t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to answer the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that low academic performance, low social support from friends, academic stress, cyber bullying, examination anxiety, rejection, death of loved ones, emotional distress among others were psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation. The findings of this study also showed that there were no significant differences in the psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation as expressed by undergraduates at University of Ilorin based on gender, religion, and age. Further findings revealed that there was a significant difference in the psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation as expressed by undergraduates at University of Ilorin based on place of residence. It was recommended based on the findings of the study that undergraduates should be encouraged to seek counselling and other support services in school in order to prevent suicidal ideation and its consequences.