title: Prevalence and social determinants of suicidal behaviours among college youth in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the prevalence of and factors associated with suicide ideation and suicide attempts among college youth in India.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims were to estimate the prevalence of suicidal behaviours among Indian college students and identify potential risk factors for suicide ideation and attempts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study surveyed 1,817 undergraduate college students aged 18-24 years in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with a questionnaire that assessed suicidal behaviours as well as stressful situations and life events. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of lifetime suicide ideation and lifetime suicide attempts was 11.7% and 4.0%, respectively. Suicide ideation was predicted by female gender, odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, 95% CI 1.01, 1.97, economic stress, OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.11, 1.24, stress due to life events involving religious violence in the community, OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.15, 1.78, and life events involving caste conflicts or caste discrimination, OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.13, 1.46. Female gender and caste-related life events were not significantly associated with suicide attempts but economic stress and stressful experience of religious conflict continued to be significantly associated with lifetime suicide attempt, OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.08, 1.31, and OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.14, 2.17, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample, college students from low socioeconomic classes who faced economic difficulties, and students who experienced distress as a result of caste discrimination or caste conflict, and communal unrest, were at a higher risk for suicidal behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Yogini
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thombs
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirmayer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011287:Prejudice; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012940:Social Problems / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult