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Traumatic Life Events, Frustration and Suicidal Risks Among Undergraduate Students of Universities in Makurdi, Nigeria

James, A, ondofa Iorhemen, Samuel Terzungwe Anhamge, David Igbawase Akuen

Abstract

The increasing incidence of suicidal behaviours among university students has become a major public health concern. To this end, this study examined the influence of traumatic life events and frustration on suicidal risks among undergraduate students of universities in Makurdi, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study and sampled three hundred and eighty-one (381) undergraduates from two (2) universities in Makurdi whose ages were between 18 to 44 years with a mean age of 30.03(SD=2.17) years. Data were collected using Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire , Frustration Discomfort Scale , and The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using simple linear regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Findings revealed that traumatic life events significantly predicted suicidal risks among undergraduate students of universities in Makurdi, Nigeria. Also, frustration significantly influenced suicidal risks among the study population. Furthermore, traumatic life events and frustration jointly made a significant influence on suicidal risks among undergraduate students. The study therefore concluded that traumatic life events and frustration are significant influencers of suicidal risks among undergraduate students. The study recommends among others that, professional counsellors, clinical psychologists and mental health practitioners should organize periodic workshops and psychoeducational programmes aimed at helping undergraduate students develop healthy coping strategies for managing frustration, emotional distress, and other psychological challenges associated with university life.

References

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