SUICIDE AMONG YOUTHS IN AKURE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE: COURSE, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

Abstract

This study examined the dominant psychological and socio-economic factors that trigger suicides among youths in Akure, Ondo State. Suicide has remained a lingering socio-religious, moral and ethical issue of concern with multi-faceted consequences in the entire society. The study employed a survey design and collected data from 400 respondents (18-35 years) through structured questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Friedman Test). The study found that the dominant factors that trigger youth suicides in Akure comprise a combination of psychological factors (trauma and hopelessness), social factors (family pressures and stigmatization), and economic factors (poverty and unemployment). These findings were supported by an integrated theoretical understanding of the dominant factors that trigger suicides-Shneidman’s theory of “psychache” and Durkheim's theory of social integration. The study concluded that addressing the dominant factors that trigger suicides requires an inter-disciplinary approach that considers the unique socio-cultural characteristics of the semi-urban community in Nigeria.