Educational Demands and Suicidal Ideation among Nigerian Undergraduates

Abstract

The study investigated educational demands as predictor of suicidal ideation among undergraduates in Nigeria, with the moderating role of demographic variables weighed heavily. Employing a descriptive survey design, data were gathered from 300 undergraduates by means of a validated questionnaire (reliability = 0.62 for educational demands; 0.82 for suicidal ideation) randomly sampled from federal universities. Amongst the findings from descriptive statistics and inferential analyses were that educational demands had significant correlations with involvement in suicidal ideation while explaining substantial variance. Educational demands was the strongest predictor. The moderated multiple regression also found gender, age, and academic level to be significantly moderating these relationships. Educational demands affected female students, younger undergraduates, and those at the lower academic levels more. These factors confirm earlier studies on how socio-economic, cultural, and emotional factors come into play in determining ideation choices for young adults. It can be concluded that suicidal ideation among undergraduates is a multi-dimensional problem originating from intersecting vulnerabilities and modulated by demographic variables. These findings, therefore, vouch for gender-sensitive programs, early-stage student mentorship, emotional empowerment, and institution-based policy reforms in a bid to reduce vulnerability. These results, therefore, have major counseling, policy, and targeted student support program implications for Nigerian higher education.