Prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Iranian university students: systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Students, due to their specific academic and psychosocial conditions, are at higher risk of suicide compared with the general population, and suicide is one of the leading causes of death among students worldwide.

Aims

To investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Iranian university students.

Method

A systematic search was conducted in international and national databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed and Magiran, up to February 2025. Title and abstract screening was performed by a single reviewer. Two reviewers independently undertook full-text screening (study selection) and data extraction. Data were analysed using Stata 16. The heterogeneity of studies was tested with Cochran's Q and quantified with the I² statistic. To explore the sources of heterogeneity, we performed sensitivity analyses and meta-regression. The protocol was registered in the International Registration of Systematic Reviews (no. CRD42023471340).

Results

We included 28 studies in this research. The pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation, 12-month suicide attempts and lifetime suicide attempts among Iranian students was 17% (95% CI: 13-21%), 3% (95% CI: 2-4%) and 8% (95% CI: 6-10%), respectively, with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 94.85, 91.16 and 93.46%, respectively).

Conclusions

This study highlights the high prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Iranian university students, underscoring the need for effective preventive strategies and further research.

SUBMITTER: Mahdavinoor SMM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12835722 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature