Relationship of suicide ideation with depression and hopelessness

Abstract

Introduction

The association between suicide ideation, depression, and hopelessness is relatively ignored in the literature of the Arab World, particularly using suicide ideation, Beck Depression, and hopelessness inventories.

Objective

The specific research questions related to this model are as follows: does the relationship between suicide ideation, depression, and hopelessness, postulate the latent factor?

Methods

The participants were 200 girls, first year Kuwait University students. The mean age (18.18 ± 0.38) and BMI (23.50 ± 4.85). The Arabic versions of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and demographic surveys were administered to participants in the class. All participants read and signed a consent form before test administration. The correlation matrices, exploratory factor analysis, and reliability analysis are used in this study.

Results

Internal consistency of scores were satisfactory for the BSI, BDI-II, & BHS inventories respectively (Cronbach's alpha = .91, .89, .85). A correlation of (r = .53) between the BSI and BDI-II and (r = .43) with BHS. Meanwhile, a correlation of (r = .58) between BDI-II & BHS. A principal-axis factor analysis with oblique rotation suggested one factor accounting for 67.73% of the common variance.

Conclusion

This trend indicates there is a strong relationship of suicide ideation with depression and hopelessness. The results of the present study suggest that targeting depression may be as important in adolescents as in adults to reduce suicidal ideation and prevent suicidal attempts.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.