Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39030522›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Resilience and social support as protective factors against suicidal ideation among tertiary students during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study.

Špela Selak, Nuša Crnkovič, Andrej Šorgo, Branko Gabrovec, Katarina Cesar, Mark Žmavc

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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  4. Examining Resilience in Those With and Without Suicidal Ideation.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Špela SelakNational Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia. spela.selak@nijz.si.
Nuša CrnkovičNational Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Andrej ŠorgoFaculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
Branko GabrovecNational Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Katarina CesarNational Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Mark ŽmavcCentre for Digital Wellbeing Logout, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSuicidal ideation is a depression symptom which represents a key (cognitive) component of suicidality and plays an important role in suicide risk detection, intervention, and prevention. Despite existing research showing the importance of certain factors of depression symptoms and suicidal ideation, less is known about the interaction between the various risk and protective factors. The aim of the study was to examine whether living conditions characteristics and personal circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic predicted the presence of depression symptoms and suicidal ideation among tertiary students and whether resilience and social support can mitigate the detrimental effects of difficult life circumstances.

methodA large online cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021 among 4,645 Slovenian tertiary students. Hierarchical multiple regression and hierarchical logistic regression methods were used to assess and compare the effect of life circumstances variables, as opposed to resilience and social support, on depression symptoms and suicidal ideation.

resultsFemale gender, single relationship status, living alone, a higher degree of household conflict, having a history of mental illness and chronic disease diagnosis were significant predictors of depression scores. All but gender were also predictors of suicidal ideation. Household conflict and a history of mental illness were the factors showing the strongest effect in both cases. On the other hand, social support and, in particular, resilience proved to be strong protective factors against depression symptoms and suicidal ideation. After accounting for one's resilience and social support, the explained variance in depression scores was more than doubled, while the harmful effect of household conflict and history of mental illness significantly decreased.

conclusionsThe findings stress the importance of one's resilience and social support and explain why some people manage to maintain mental well-being despite finding themselves in difficult life circumstances, which was the case for many tertiary students during the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights may inform preventive efforts against developing suicidal ideation and may be used as support for the design and implementation of interventions for improving resilience and social support from childhood onward.

Indexed as

COVID-19Protective FactorsResilience, PsychologicalSocial SupportStudentsSuicidal IdeationAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFemaleHumansMaleRisk FactorsSloveniaUniversitiesCOVID-19 pandemicDepressionResilienceSocial supportSuicidal ideationTertiary students

Identifiers

PMID39030522
PMCPMC11265007

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.