ACADEMIC STRESS AND SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between academic stress and suicidal ideation among undergraduates in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive correlational survey design. Three hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Correlation Matrix. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 420 participants from three universities in Oyo State. Data were collected using the Academic Stress and Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (ASSIQ). The findings revealed that undergraduates in Oyo State experienced high levels of academic stress and suicidal ideation. A significant relationship was found between academic stress and suicidal ideation (r = 0.199, p < 0.05). Further findings indicated that gender, age, class level, place of residence, and course of study significantly predict academic stress among undergraduates in Oyo State. Also, gender, class level, and place of residence significantly predict suicidal ideation, while no significant predictions were found for age and course of study. The study recommended that undergraduates experiencing academic stress in tertiary institutions should seek mental health counselling from professionals to prevent situations that could lead to suicidal ideation in Oyo State. Universities should collaborate with lecturers, level advisors, health practitioners, and school counsellors to launch awareness campaigns in a way to educate undergraduates on coping strategies and resilience-building techniques to manage academic stress and suicidal ideation, considering their gender, age, place of residence, course of study and class level.