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. 2024 May 28:15:1398363.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1398363. eCollection 2024.

Suicidal behavior and associated factors among holy water users at Northwest, Ethiopia, 2023: an institution based cross-sectional study

Gedefaw Tegegne Kassahun  1 , Fikir Addis  2 , Tilahun Belete Mossie  2 , Habte Belete  2 , Birhanu Mengist Munie  3
Affiliations

Suicidal behavior and associated factors among holy water users at Northwest, Ethiopia, 2023: an institution based cross-sectional study

Gedefaw Tegegne Kassahun et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Suicide is a serious cause of mortality that affects families, communities, and the entire country. Because of a lack of national systematic reporting for cause-specific mortality, a high level of stigma, and religious non-acceptance, suicidal behavior is an under-reported and concealed cause of death in the majority of low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of suicidal behavior and associated factors among holy water users at the Andassa Saint George Monastery, 2023.

Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Andassa Saint George Monastery from 5 April to 5 May 2023. A systematic random sampling method was utilized to select 423 study participants and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised was used to assess suicidal behavior. The data were gathered using the epicollect5 software with a face-to-face interview method then exported to SPSS-25 for analysis. A binary logistic regression model was used and all variables in a bivariate analysis with a p-value of less than 0.25 were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value of less than 0.05.

Results: The prevalence of suicidal behavior among holy water users was 9.7% (95% CI: 7.1-12.4). Being female [2.632 (1.206-5.748)], living alone [2.52 (1.06-5.97)], and having depression [3.03 (1.32-6.99)], epilepsy [3.82 (1.28-11.40)], and diabetes mellitus [3.37 (1.229-9.25)] were significantly associated with suicidal behavior.

Conclusion: In this study, almost 1 in 10 had engaged in suicidal behavior in their lifetime. Several risk factors for suicidal behavior were identified, including being female, living alone, and having diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, and depression.

Keywords: depression; ethiopia; holy water; suicidal behavior; suicide.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer GL declared a shared affiliation with the author BM to the handling editor at the time of review.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequency distribution of the suicidal behavior among holy water users at Andassa Saint George Monastery, northwest Ethiopia, 2023 (n=423).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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