Condiciones de salud mental y riesgo de suicidio en estudiantes universitarios costarricenses

Highlights When comparing university students based on gender identity, significant differences were reported in terms of social support and anxiety. Positive and significant associations were observed between depression, anxiety, and suicide risk within this Costa Rican students’ group. Perceived social support among university students showed significant negative correlations with depression and suicide risk. The depression symptoms escalation in university students significantly heightened the risk of suicide. Introduction: University students are exposed to academic demands that could impact mental health and trigger suicidal behaviors. Objective: To analyze the mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, and social support) and suicide risk in Costa Rican university students. Materials and Methods: Correlational, predictive, and cross-sectional research was conducted. A census sample of 76 university students was included. Variables encompassed sociodemographic data, social support measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, depression measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II, anxiety measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and suicide risk measured by the Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale. An online survey was used. Descriptive analysis, variance analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were performed. Significance level set at p