Author(s): Joshua Olsen, Grace Collier
Mentor(s): Daniel Hatch, Bryan Koenig
Institution SUU
Introduction: Suicide has become an important issue within the state of Utah. The rate of suicide within Utah has maintained a trend far above the national average and continues to rise throughout the years (Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition, 2020). The second leading cause of death for individuals ages 18-24 was suicide (CDC, 2023), which has sparked much research on suicide within college populations. This study aims to gain more insight into the mental health issues that students experience to increase awareness and improve the mental health resources on campus. Methods: Participants included 1,397 students from Southern Utah University (SUU). Data was collected anonymously online as part of a larger project on predictors of suicidality among college students. Recruitment occurred from May 2021 to December 2022 via the university’s student portal and undergraduate research pool. The survey comprised 17 scales measuring various mental health constructs, but the current study focuses on the optional qualitative question at the end of the survey. This question was open-ended and inquired about participants’ final thoughts that were relevant to the survey. 176 participants answered the qualitative question. Inductive coding and thematic analysis were utilized to code the data: Two researchers found themes/subthemes separately and then consolidated them together. Once the set of themes and subthemes were finalized, researchers counted occurrences of the subthemes within each theme. Results/Discussion: The coding process produced many themes and subthemes that align with many of the mental health constructs that were measured within the larger, quantitative survey. However, there were also new, separate themes developed that may give some insight into other variables affecting suicidal ideation and other mental health issues. Some of the most frequent themes included were stress (with subthemes related to general, work, financial, and academic stress), life meaning (found meaning, searching for meaning, and no inherent meaning), and discrimination. Various themes without subthemes were also developed, which were categorized as “positive” or “negative,” such as feelings of perseverance and burdensomeness.