Depression, Anxiety and Stress as Predictors of Suicidal Ideation Among Senior High School Students

Abstract

Suicidal ideation is defined as thoughts that life isn’t worth living, ranging in intensity from fleeting thoughts of concrete and well- thought out plans for killing oneself or even a complete preoccupation with self-destruction. The prevalence rate of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in the Philippines were roughly around one (1) in every ten (10) Filipino youth aged 15 to 27 and one (1) in every twenty (20) respectively. This study determined the relationship as well as the predicting factor of depression, anxiety, and stress to suicidal ideation among senior high school students. These level of depression, anxiety, and stress was determined by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale- 21 while the Modified Scale of Suicidal Ideation was also administered to students to measure their suicidal ideation level. The result revealed normal levels of all psychological conditions- depression: 158 (46.5%), anxiety: 139 (40.9%), and stress: 312 (91.8%) of the respondents out of 340, and the majority of the students reported mild-moderate level of suicidal ideation 118 (34.71%). Results were also supported by the student’s responses to items on the tests with the following overall mean: depression (9.06), anxiety (7.11), and stress (9.22) which also falls under the normal level and suicidal ideation (16.78) which can be interpreted as mild-moderate. Single regression analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation among senior high school students garnering computed p-values of the following: (1) depression- 0.4242, (2) anxiety- 0.3616 and (3) stress- 0.3742. That is; for every unit increase in depression, anxiety, and stress, the suicidal ideation score was predicted to increase, and “Ceteris Paribus” assume all other things held constant. The results of the study should serve as an eye-opener to parents, schoolteachers, and administrators in providing psychologically healthy surroundings at home and at school. Also, it is called for mental health practitioners to establish intervention plans in addressing depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideations experienced by senior high school students.