Suicidal behaviors and associated factors among medical students in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Suicide behaviors are common among medical students, and the prevalence rates might vary across various regions. Even though various systematic reviews have been conducted to assess suicidal behaviors among medical students in general, no review has ever assessed or carried out a sub-analysis to show the burden of suicidal behaviors among African medical students which was fulfilled in the present study. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence studies among African medical students from PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar databases. A total of 204 publications were identified. The studies' selection, data extraction, and methodological evaluation were performed, and meta-analysis was performed based on the random effects model. Results: Data were obtained from 14 eligible studies, including 8585 medical students in Africa. The pooled prevalence of lifetime suicidal behaviors was 18.7% for suicidal ideation (95% CI: 14.1%-23.3; I 2 = 94.37%; p < 0.001), 3.8% for suicidal plans (95% CI: 2.7%-4.8%; I 2 = 0.03%; p < 0.001), and 5.5% for suicide attempts (95% CI: 3.8%-7.2%; I 2 = 89.47%; p < 0.001). The factors associated with suicidal ideations were female gender, use of alcohol, depression, and use of khat. Only depression was associated with suicide attempts. Limitations: The review involved few studies, and not all African regions were represented. Conclusion: Suicidal behaviors, particularly suicide attempts, are high among medical students in Africa. However, very few studies are done in the region to clearly quantify the burden and its associated factors

Suicidal behaviors and associated factors among medical students in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Suicide behaviors are common among medical students, and the prevalence rates might vary across various regions. Even though various systematic reviews have been conducted to assess suicidal behaviors among medical students in general, no review has ever assessed or carried out a sub-analysis to show the burden of suicidal behaviors among African medical students which was fulfilled in the present study. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence studies among African medical students from PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar databases. A total of 204 publications were identified. The studies' selection, data extraction, and methodological evaluation were performed, and meta-analysis was performed based on the random effects model. Results: Data were obtained from 14 eligible studies, including 8585 medical students in Africa. The pooled prevalence of lifetime suicidal behaviors was 18.7% for suicidal ideation (95% CI: 14.1%-23.3; I 2 = 94.37%; p < 0.001), 3.8% for suicidal plans (95% CI: 2.7%-4.8%; I 2 = 0.03%; p < 0.001), and 5.5% for suicide attempts (95% CI: 3.8%-7.2%; I 2 = 89.47%; p < 0.001). The factors associated with suicidal ideations were female gender, use of alcohol, depression, and use of khat. Only depression was associated with suicide attempts. Limitations: The review involved few studies, and not all African regions were represented. Conclusion: Suicidal behaviors, particularly suicide attempts, are high among medical students in Africa. However, very few studies are done in the region to clearly quantify the burden and its associated factors

Substance use disorder among adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda: Retrospective findings from a psychiatric ward registry.

It has been reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has predisposed adolescents to risky behaviors such as substance use and subsequent substance use disorder (SUD). However, it is unknown how the pandemic has changed the prevalence of SUD among adolescents in Uganda. We aimed to determine the prevalence of SUD and associated factors among adolescents in southwestern Uganda. Retrospectively, psychiatry ward records from November 2018 to July 2021 were collected from the largest tertiary hospital in southwestern Uganda. A total of 441 adolescent records were included in the analysis, with a mean age was 17±1.88 years, and the majority were males (50.34%). The overall prevalence of SUD was 7.26% (5.90% and 9.80% before and during the pandemic). Despite a little rise in SUD (3.9% increment) during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no statistical difference compared to before the pandemic. The likelihood of being diagnosed with SUD was more among older adolescents at any period. In addition, having a diagnosis of bipolar mood disorder reduced the likelihood of SUD during the pandemic. This study indicated no statistical change in the diagnosis of SUD among adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. As older-male adolescents (17 to 19 years) were at higher risk of SUD, there is a need for early intervention for this group

Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports

Background: Gambling activities and associated mental health problems have become a topic of increased concern globally. Many individuals with a severe gambling disorder have gambling-related suicidality. However, no study has explored gambling-related suicide in East African Community (EAC) countries. The present study investigated the press media reporting of gambling-related suicide cases from EAC countries. Methods: As there is no established suicide database in that region, media reports were utilized to collect gambling-related suicide data. Gambling-related suicide case reports were searched for in EAC countries’ press media websites using Google. After removing duplicates, a total of 18 suicides were found. Results: The victims were all males aged 16 to 40 years. The most prevalent reason for the death was university students who had used their university tuition fees for gambling and losing the money (n = 4/17). All the suicide deaths were in Kenya (10/18), Uganda (7/18), and Tanzania (1/18). Betting on soccer was the most common type of gambling reported (n = 11/15), and hanging was the most used mode of suicide (n = 10/16). Conclusions: Based on the press media reports, 18 males were identified as having carried out gambling-related suicides. The countries with the most widespread opportunities to gamble had more gambling-related suicides, although the number of suicides was very small