Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Suicidal Tendencies Among Bangladeshi Public University Students: A Mixed‐Methods Exploration

ABSTRACT Background and Aims This study investigates the prevalence and associated risk factors of suicidal tendencies among public university students in Bangladesh. Methods This study design was employed with a total of 200 participants (male: 118; female: 82). Data collection utilized a mixed‐methods approach, combining online and offline surveys with in‐depth interviews. The survey instrument captured socio‐demographic characteristics, risk factors for suicidal tendencies, prevalence, perception levels, and potential mitigation strategies. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26 and NVivo 12 software. Results Multinomial logistic regression identified significant associations between suicidal tendencies and age (p < 0.002), screen time (p < 0.047), and the interaction of prevalence level with age (p < 0.004). Additional findings revealed strong relationships between cyberbullying and suicide with income (p < 0.02), media contagion effect with income (p < 0.024), and age with suicidal cases inducing suicidal tendencies (p < 0.034). Correlation analyses highlighted cyberbullying, stressful life events, media contagion, screen time, and easy access to suicide‐related information as key contributors to suicidal behavior (mean = 0.364). Conclusion This study underscores significant associations between suicidal tendencies and factors such as age, income, cyberbullying, media contagion, online platforms, and access to suicide‐related information. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing these determinants to mitigate the rising incidence of suicidal tendencies among university students.