FAMILIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Contemporary socio-economic problems such as overpopulation, poverty, and poor health care system have increased the number of adolescents and young adults that are susceptible to depression and suicidal ideation. In Nigeria, there are few studies on the prevalence and causes of depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents, and particularly family-induced ones. This study, therefore, examined the relative contributions of certain socio-demographic variables (age, gender, and class in senior secondary school) and family variables (family size, family type, and birth order) as factors associated with depression and suicidal ideation among in-school adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Emotional security and emotion regulation theories provided the framework, while a cross-sectional survey design was adopted. One thousand in-school adolescents were randomly selected from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) to represent urban LGAs (Ibadan North and Ibadan North West) and semi-urban LGAs, (Ido and Akinyele) in Oyo State, Nigeria, through cluster sampling and stratified sampling techniques. Ten Senior Secondary Schools were randomly selected from each of the four LGAs. Participants completed a structured questionnaire that contained items on socio-demographic and family variables, a depression subscale of Trauma Symptom Checklist 40 (∝= 0.67), and Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (∝= 0.77). Data were analysed using Analysis of variance and t-test for independent samples at p≤0.05.

The participants’ mean age was 14±1.52; 44.3% were males and 55.7%. About 15.0% of the respondents were in Senior Secondary School Class 1, 39.3% were in Senior Secondary School Class 2, and 45.7 % were in Senior Secondary School Class 3, 62.6% were below seven in family, 37.4 % were seven or more in family; 67.3% were from monogamous families while 32.7% were from polygamous families, 69.7% were low birth order, while 30,3% were higher birth order. Depression was reported by 21.2% while 38.3% reported suicidal ideation. Adolescents in urban LGAs reported higher suicidal ideation and depression than those in semi-urban LGAs. There was significant variation of depression on family size (F (3, 995) = 6.39), those adolescents from family with 10 or more members significantly reported higher depression than adolescents from family with 4-6 and 7- 9 members. Family size also significantly influenced suicidal ideation (F (3, 995) = 11.04), those adolescents from family with seven or more members significantly reported higher level of negative suicidal ideation than adolescents from family with below seven and seven and above members. Higher birth order significantly influenced level of depression (F (4, 994) = 6.76), and negative suicidal ideation (F(4, 994) = 3.39). Adolescents within 16th - 20th birth order were more depressed than 1st born, 2nd - 5th, 6th - 10th, and 11th - 15th. Adolescents from polygynous family were significantly higher on depression (t (996) = 4.40) and negative suicidal ideation (t (996) = 4.03) than adolescents from monogamous families.

Large family size, polygamous and higher birth order influenced depression and suicidal ideation among sampled in-school adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria. Mental health professionals and parents/care givers should therefore consider these factors in mental health services.

Keywords: In-school adolescents, Family size, Family type, Suicidal ideation