Suicidal ideation among college students in the United States

Abstract

This study analyzed data from the 1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation among college students in the United States and to examine the association between suicidal ideation and substance use in this population. The NCHRBS used a mail questionnaire to assess health-risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of undergraduate students. During the 12 months preceding the survey, 10% of the students had seriously considered attempting suicide. When controlling for demographic characteristics, the analysis showed that students who had considered suicide were at increased odds of using tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs. These results suggest that colleges and universities should establish suicide prevention programs that also address the related problem of substance use.