Gender commonalities and differences in risk and protective factors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A cross‐sectional study of Spanish university students

Abstract

Aim: To assess gender differences in the association between risk/protective factors and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB); and whether there is any gender‐ interaction with those factors and STB; among Spanish university students. Methods: Data from baseline online survey of UNIVERSAL project, a multicenter, observational study of first‐year Spanish university students (18–24 years). We assessed STB; lifetime and 12‐month negative life‐events and family adversities; mental disorders; personal and community factors. Gender‐specific regression models and gender‐interactions were also analyzed. Results: We included 2,105 students, 55.4% women. Twelve‐month prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) was 10%, plans 5.7%, attempts 0.6%. Statistically significant gender‐interactions were found for lifetime anxiety disorder, hopelessness, violence between parents, chronic health conditions and family support. Lifetime mood disorder was a common risk factor of SI for both genders (Females: OR= 5.5; 95%CI 3.3–9.3; Males: OR= 4.4; 95%CI 2.0–9.7). For females, exposure to violence between parents (OR= 3.5; 95%CI 1.7–7.2), anxiety disorder (OR= 2.7; 95%CI 1.6–4.6), and alcohol/substance disorder (OR= 2.1; 95%CI 1.1–4.3); and for males, physical childhood maltreatment (OR= 3.6; 95%CI 1.4–9.2), deceased parents (OR= 4.6; 95% CI 1.2–17.7), and hopelessness (OR= 7.7; 95%CI 2.8–21.2), increased SI risk. Family support (OR= 0.5; 95%CI 0.2–0.9) and peers/others support (OR= 0.4; 95%CI 0.2–0.8) were associated to a lower SI risk only among females. Conclusions: Only mood disorder was a common risk factor of SI for both genders, whereas important gender‐differences were observed regarding the other factors assessed. The protective effect from family and peers/others support was observed only among females. Further research assessing underlying mechanisms and pathways of gender‐differences is needed.