Suicide-related behaviours among secondary school adolescents in the Welkom and Bethlehem areas of the Free State province (South Africa)

Our aim was to investigate suicide-related behaviours among secondary school adolescents in the Free State province, South Africa. Participants in this study were 142 secondary school adolescents selected from urban and rural schools around Welkom and Bethlehem, in the Free State. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the schools. Eighty-six (60.6%) participants were female, and 56 (39.4%) were male. They were aged between 12 and 19 years, with a mean age of 16.18 years (SD = 1.72). A questionnaire was used to obtain participants' demographic data, suicidal behaviours (suicidal ideation, thoughts, plans, and attempts), the severity of the suicidal attempt (where applicable) and how often suicidal attempts took place. Results show that the prevalence of extreme (pervasive) cases of suicidal ideation (i.e. almost every day in the past two weeks) is 12.0% (10.7% for males and 12.8% for females). There is no significant difference between suicidal ideation among males and among females. The prevalence of suicidal plans in the past two weeks and 'ever' (lifetime) were 7.7% and 18.3%, respectively. The prevalence of suicidal attempts in the past two weeks and 'ever' (lifetime) were 4.2% and 14.8%, respectively. There is no significant difference between the prevalence among males and females, early adolescents and late adolescents, adolescents from the Southern Sotho background and those from non-Southern Sotho speaking groups. Mental health workers and educators should use the above findings as baseline information when planning preventive and therapeutic strategies for the minimization of suicidal behaviours among adolescents in the province. The findings should also be considered when making policies on the health priority areas for funding.