CONSEQUENCES OF COMMITTINGSUICIDE AMONGST UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH EAST,NIGERIA
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1Dr Ugochukwu Ifeyinwa Offor
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1*Department of Educational Foundations,NnamdiAzikiwe University, Awka
The study examined the consequences of committing suicide amongst undergraduate students in public universities in South
East, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The
population of the study comprised of all 400 level undergraduates of 2023/2024 academic session in the 10 public
universities in South East geopolitical zone. The 400 level students were involved in this study because majority of them were
affected with the high rate of suicide. The total population is 93,126. The sample of the study was 600 undergraduates
selected through simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The
questionnaire was validated by three experts, two in Sociology of Education; one in Measurement and Evaluation, all from
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The reliability was calculated using Cronbach Alpha for each of the subsections; 0.81, 0.80
and 0.82 were the scores obtained for the subsections. Mean rating was used for data analysis. The findings showed that the
psychological effects of suicide have a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of students, leading to increased
anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The social effects lead to social isolation, stigma, and a breakdown in
social cohesion, while the economic effects result in significant losses in human capital, productivity, and economic growth. It
is imperative that the management of public universities in South East, Nigeria, should take proactive steps to address the
root causes of suicide among undergraduate students. This includes providing adequate mental health resources, support
systems, and counseling services, as well as promoting a culture of care, compassion, and understanding. It was
recommended among others that universities should establish and strengthen counseling services and mental health support
systems to provide students with access to professional help.
