This study investigated some social variables as determinants of suicide behaviours among adolescents in Rivers State, Nigeria. It adopted the correlational research design. The population of the study was 785 students of the three federal Government Colleges in Rivers State who manifest suicide behaviour. Using purposive sampling, they were drawn to ensure that only those that elicited suicide behaviours were used for the study. Three research questions and three hypotheses were tested in the study at 0.005 level of significant. Two instrument named suicide behaviour questionnaire- revised (SBQ-R) and determinants of suicide behaviour questionnaire (DSBQ) were used for the study. The SBQ-R was adapted and used to find out those that exhibit suicide behaviour while DSBQ was used to gather information on the independent variables such as substance abuse and sexual abuse. Experts in measurement and evaluation validated the instruments. The reliability index was 0.85 for SBQ-R, 0.81 for substance abuse and 0.68 for sexual abuse using Cronbach via SPSS. Simple regression was used to answer research questions 1 and 2 and its corresponding hypotheses while multiple regression was used to answer research questions 3 and its corresponding hypothesis at 0.005 alpha level. Findings were that substance abuse (p=0.000<0.005), sexual abuse (0.000<0.005) and joint social variables (p=0.00< 0.05) relates significantly with suicide behaviour. Based on the findings it was recommended that substances that are easily abused by adolescents should be kept out of their reach and Government parastatals like the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and CUSTOM officials that are in charge of ensuring that these dangerous substances do not see the light of the day should intensify their efforts in seizing and destroying them. Those that are traffickers of these substances should be counselled with therapies like CBT to help them stop trafficking dangerous substances. Perpetrators of sexual abuse should also be re-orientated, counselled and rehabilitated.
Citation: Essien, B.S. and Awujo, C.G. (2022) Social Variables as Determinants of Suicide Behaviour among Adolescents in Rivers State, Nigeria, British Journal of Education, Vol.10, Issue 2, pp. 1-12
Keywords: Adolescents, Suicide, substance abuse and sexual abuse, suicide behaviour
