A validation of adult suicidal ideation questionnaire among Nigerian University students.

Background: To prevent completed suicide among young adults in the university, assessment of suicidal ideation should be encouraged. This study aims to investigate the reliability, exploratory factor analysis, and validity of adult suicidal ideation questionnaire among Nigerian university students. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional survey was the preferred choice of research design for this study utilizing convenience sampling technique to recruit participants. 6 universities divided into two equal numbers between federal-funded and state-funded ones in Nigeria were selected, and 2,702 students were sampled to fill the questionnaires. Instruments for data collection included Rosenberg Self-esteem questionnaire and Kessler Psychological distress scale to validate ASIQ. Ethical clearance for this study was collected from Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Results: The results of the study showed that internal consistency of ASIQ was .951 while validity analyses proved that self-esteem and psychological distress diverged and converged respectively with the three subdomains of suicidal ideation as measured by ASIQ. Conclusion: This study concludes that ASIQ has slight modification from the original version among young adults in Nigeria. The scale is reliable and valid but as a 22-item instrument on a 5-point Likert scale.

Towards school-based mental health programs in Nigeria: the immediate impact of a depression-literacy program among school-going adolescents and their teachers.

BACKGROUND: Depression-literacy, which is the foundational requirement for symptom recognition, positive attitude and help-seeking, is poor among adolescents in Nigeria. This study, therefore, aims to determine the impact of a school-based training program on depression-literacy among a cohort of high-school students and their teachers in South-West Nigeria. METHODS: An adapted version of the Break Free from Depression, a 4-module depression awareness curriculum for staff and students, was implemented among students and their teachers. Paired-sample T-test was used to assess the domain-specific (knowledge, attitude, and confidence) impact of the training by comparing the baseline and immediate (within the week of the training) post-scores. RESULTS: A total of 3098 students and 294 teachers from 21 schools across three states in South-West Nigeria successfully completed the training. There was a significant positive difference (p < 0.05), at post-test, in the knowledge, attitude, and confidence among the students. The same was observed among teachers except for attitude where positive change did not reach significant level (p = 0.06). When statistically significant, the calculated effect size (eta squared) was highest for knowledge (students: 0.07, p = 0.001; teachers: 0.08, p < 0.000) and least for attitude (students: 0.003, p = 0.002 teachers: 0.085, p = 0.06). Multiple regression analyses result showed that the level of pre-scores predicted the magnitude of change in all domains of depression-literacy (p < 0.05) after controlling for age, gender, and type of school among the students, but not for teachers. CONCLUSIONS: School-based depression-literacy programs can lead to significant positive change in knowledge, attitude, and confidence of students and teachers.