Key findings:

Key findings include the global rise of suicide as a major cause of death, particularly among university students in Bangladesh. The article addresses increasing suicide ideation among undergraduates, explores associated factors, and discusses the repercussions on families and society. Precautionary measures are recommended to address this concerning trend.

What is known and what is new?
Suicide is a global public health issue affecting people of all ages, including university students. Bangladeshi undergraduates are increasingly affected. The article specifically focuses on the rising prevalence of suicide ideation among Bangladeshi university students, highlighting associated factors and recommending precautionary measures to address the issue.

What is the implication, and what should change now?
The abstract underscores suicide's global rise, particularly among Bangladeshi undergraduates, as a critical public health issue. It emphasizes the urgent need for preventive measures to address escalating suicide ideation and its societal impact, advocating for interventions to safeguard students' well-being and community welfare.

Suicide is a ninth leading cause of the death in America leading approximately 1.4% of the total deaths [1]. Several studies over the world have observed that university students face multiple problems ranging from psychological to academic and financial to career and social concerns [2]. It is also observed that these problems become harder with time and cannot be easily resolved resulting in them needing to seek some professional help. However, in developing countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, this scenario is more often due to lack of social awareness. Accordingly, around 6 to 8% of students suffer through emotional issues during the course of their  university studies [3].Though the exact number of students who suffer from emotional  problems cannot be easily established, especially in developing countries. Researchers have provided evidence that these students are at greater risk for academic and social challenges in a university environment and later in their practical adult  life [4]. Mental and behavioral disorders are estimated to account for 12% of the global burden of  any disease. More than 40% of countries have no mental health policy and over 30% have no mental health programme  [5]. A number of factors are associated with suicidal ideation which includes depression,  hopelessness, bullying, family divorce, parental psychopathology, parental death, low family income, interpersonal  violence, psychiatric disorders, problematic technology use like smartphone addiction, facebook or internet addiction etc  [6-9]. In  Bangladesh, the rate suicide among university students are increasing day by day. It has become a serious issue that needs to be addressed. But there is lack of awareness regarding this suicide ideation among university students. Some  proper steps may decline this rate significantly. 

A study conducted among 665 students of a  university in Bangladesh by a classroom based  convenience sampling method. The study of the result  showed that the prevalence of suicidal ideation was 2.3% in the past 24 h, 4.8% in the past 15 days, 6.9% in the past month, 14.7% in the past year, and 61.1% in the  lifetime. The results also stated that being separated  from partner,facebook addiction,depression,anxiety and  stress were the risk factors of past-year Suicidal ideation  [10]. In a retrospective study  from Bangladeshi press report found that most of the  suicide victims are from public university  students(30.4%).It found that 17 students were from  public university in a total of 56 Bangladeshi students  suicide cases reported from January 2018 to june 2019  in the Bangladeshi print media [11]. A study in Jahangirnagar University among 407 university students aged between 18 and 27 years stated  that the 13.8% of the students have suicidal ideation  during the past 12 months. A number of reasons were  found to be responsible behind this scenario. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was found more in the female than the male in the study [12]. Several studies show that the female suicidal ideation is more in percentage than the male.In a study  of suicidal ideation among rural elderly in Shandong,  China shows that the suicidal ideation varies  gender wise. It is in fact found more in females than in male. The reason of finding more suicidal ideation in  female was stated because of having lower life  satisfaction and negative life events which are more  correlated with female than the male [13]. Other reasons that were found behind the suicidal ideation in the study conducted in Jahangirnagar University were being being fifth year student, having a lower socioeconomic status, exposure  to traumatic events, family suicide history and  depression. Lower socioeconomic status of individual is more often influencing the university students to suicidal attempts. Most of the university students of Bangladesh belong to a lower or middle class family.They often struggle to manage their education costs. Besides, they have to look after their families as well at a very early age. It often puts them under a huge  amount of pressure. A cross-sectional study from a rural community of Bangladesh stated that the parental lower socio-economic position enhances the suicidal ideation  rate among the adolescents. Low monthly income and  expenditure of the parents are associated with suicidal  ideation of the adolescents and those who don’t live  with their parents are also found to have suicidal  ideation [14]. A cross-sectional study from the Korean Community Health Survey 2013  confirmed that the suicide rate is higher among the  people associated with lower socioeconomic status [15]. On the other hand, Parental high expectations often put university students under  tremendous pressure. Parents always seem to expect more from their childrens. They want their children to  have great academic results. Besides they often put their childrens under pressure through expecting their bright  and luxurious future.The teachers also put a high load of  academic pressure on them.Sometimes the university  students do not find their teachers cooperative  and helpful enough to share anything.This high expectations  from their parents often puts so much stress and anxiety  on them. That is how the depression takes place into  them and results in suicidal ideation. However, the  impact of these suicides on family and society is very  shocking. It enhances the breakdown of family causing  mental conflicts and depression among the family  members. It creates a traumatic stress that induces other  family members to commit suicide.Suicide is a social  disorder and alarming situation for the society.It creates  anarchy in the society and decreases the social status.  That is why it is considered a defame of the society  [16]. 

Some of the suicide prevention steps includes  raising awareness among university students regarding  suicide, prevention programmes are needed to arrange  besides raising awareness,prevention programmes  should include student support centers, gatekeeper  training towards mental health problems and suicide,  screening, peer leadership training [17-19] Besides,curriculum  based interventions and internet based interventions  may be beneficial in the prevention of university  students suicide [20]. Finally,the  university administration should look after the mental  conditions of each and every student alongside their  financial crisis. 
 

Students’ suicide is really a tremendous shock for  both the family and society. This study will help to find  out the exact causes of the suicide of University  students. This study findings will help to address the  relation between suicide and student-teacher’s  relationship and other factors. It is believed that the suicidal ideations of university students can be declined  by taking meaningful steps.Some of them are also  suggested in this study.

Funding: No funding sources.

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Jahangirnagar University.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  
Authors gratefully acknowledge the National  Science and Technology (NST) fellowship 2019-20,  provided to Md. Touhidul Islam by the Ministry of  Science and Technology, Government of the People’s  Republic of Bangladesh.  

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