“INFLUENCE OF SELECTED FACTORS ON SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BUTERE SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

According to the 2017 Center for Disease C ontrol (CDC) report, suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages ten to twenty-four globally. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart diseases, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung diseases combined. The purpose of the study therefore was to assess the influence of selected psychosocial factors on suicidal ideation among students in public secondary school in Kenya. The objectives of the study were to; to determine the influence of mental health, birth order and bullying on suicidal ideation among students in public secondary schools in Kenya and to investigate the role of schools in mitigating the problem of suicidal ideation among students in public secondary schools in Kenya. The study, which was anchored on the Interpersonal Psychological Theory, adopted ex-post facto and snowball research designs. The study population consisted of 2564 form four students, 30 teachers in charge of guidance and counseling, 30 deputy principals from 30 public secondary schools in Butere Sub- County and one Sub- County Director of Education. The sample comprised of 176 boys and 170 girls who were selected using stratified random sampling, 10 guidance and counseling teachers, 10 deputy principals and 1 Sub- County director of education who were respectively sampled purposively. Data from the students were collected using questionnaires, while that from the deputy principals, guidance and counseling teachers and the Sub- County Director of Education were each collected using interview guide. Document analysis was also conducted to corroborate information collected from the respondents. Reliability of the instruments was established using split-half method. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically while quantitative data was analyzed using inferential statistics on SPSS version 25. The hypotheses were tested using simple regression. Study findings revealed that the correlation coefficient was r=0.751 with p<0.000 being statistically significant. This led to rejecting the null hypothesis given that the value of R was more than 0. From the findings, the coefficient of determination (R2) indicated that 56.4% of the variance in suicidal ideation, in the students was attributed to mental health. Study findings revealed that the correlation coefficient was r=0.548 with p<0.000 being statistically significant. From the findings, the coefficient of determination (R2) indicated that 30.1% of the variance in suicidal ideation, in the students was attributed to birth order. Simple regression was used to establish the relationship between bullying and suicidal ideation. Study findings showed an R value of 0.781. This implied that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between bullying and suicidal ideation. Further the study revealed that the coefficient of determination (R2) indicated that 61% of the variance in suicidal ideation, in the students was attributed to bullying. This implied that bullying explained the suicidal ideation given that the F- test was over 0.5 and significant. In the model, the p-value is significant (p<0.001) implying that increase in bullying increases the chances of suicidal ideation. The study showed an R value of 0.616. This implied that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between the role played by schools and suicidal ideation. Further the study revealed that the coefficient of determination (R2) indicated that 37.9% of the variance in suicidal ideation, in the students was attributed to the role played by the school. This implied that the role played by the school explained the suicidal ideation given that the F- test was over 0.5 and significant. In the model, the p-value is significant (p<0.001) implying that role played by the school reduces the chances of suicidal ideation given beta value was negative. The study concluded that mental health and suicidal ideation are negatively related. Good mental health reduces the chances for suicidal ideation.