Who are knocking on Death’s Door Predictors of Suicide Attempt among Young Filipino Suicide Ideators

The prominence of mental health advocacies in mainstream media and public discourse in recent years brings to fore the social problem of suicide in the Philippines, necessitating an attempt to bring a greater understanding of suicide to the discussion. This study made use of a nationally representative sample of Filipino youth with ages ranging from 15 to 27 to determine the individual- and community-level factors that predict the risk of engaging in a suicide attempt among Filipino young suicide ideators. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression as the main statistical instrument, and a composite theoretical framework borne from Hirschi’s Social Bonds Theory of Deviance and Agnew’s Social Strain theory of Deviance served as the theoretical framework that guided the study. The study found ten different variables to be significantly predictive of suicide attempt among suicide ideators at 95% level of confidence. Most notable of these ten predictors are (1) relationship with one’s father, (2) exposure to other suicidal individuals, and (3) counselling. The implications of these findings to the current Philippine response to the social problem of suicide are discussed in the study.

Keywords: Suicide, Filipino, Youth, Suicide Ideation, Suicide Attempt, Self-harm