TITLE:
The Influence of Alcohol Use and Depression on Suicide Intention among Chinese University Students
AUTHORS:
Lanyan Ding, Ning Zhang, Wenjuan Zhang, Wei Liu, Shuangshaung Cai
KEYWORDS:
Alcohol, Depression, Suicide, University Students, China, Prevention
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.14 No.12,
December
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: Aim: This study explored the suicide intention among Chinese university
students and further examined how alcohol use and depressive symptoms may
contribute to suicide intention among a sample of 1126 university students in
China. Method: Participants were recruited from three universities in
China and answered questions about their academic information, alcohol use, depressive symptoms (Center for
Epidemiologic Studies Depression, CES-D), and suicide intention (United States Youth Risk Behavior
Survey, YRBS). Results: Data analysis indicated that students who drank alcohol had
higher levels of depressive symptom scores than nondrinkers. Students with
self-reported lower than average academic performance at school also reported
higher depression symptom scores. Drinkers were more likely to report suicide
intention than non-drinkers. Alcohol use and depression both increased the
likelihood of reporting suicide intention. Conclusion: The relationship
between drinking behaviors, depression and suicide intention suggests that health risky behaviors and depressive
symptoms should be examined for their role in possibly increasing
suicide risks through education and policy initiatives.