Single and Multiple Suicide Attempts: Prevalence and Correlates in School-Going Adolescents in Liberia in 2017

BACKGROUND: This investigation aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of single and multiple suicide attempts among adolescents in Liberia. METHODS: Cross-sectional nationally representative data were analysed from 2744 adolescents (18 years of median age) who participated in the “2017 Liberia Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)”. RESULTS: Results indicate that 33.7% of students had made a suicide attempt in the past 12 months (16.5% single and 17.2% multiple suicide attempts). In adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis, having no close friends, loneliness, having been frequently physically attacked, ever used amphetamine and fast food intake were associated with multiple suicide attempts in the past 12 months. In addition, having been frequently in a physical fight and current tobacco use were associated with single suicide attempt. In sex stratified analyses, in addition, among boys frequent bullying victimization and among girls, parental tobacco use and parents never or rarely check on home work were associated with multiple suicide attempts. Multiple psychosocial distressors, multiple social-environmental factors, and multiple health risk behaviours were associated with single and multiple suicide attempts. CONCLUSION: One in three students had made suicide attempt in the past 12 months (one in six students multiple suicide attempts) and several associated variables were detected which can aid in designing intervention strategies.