EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON SUICIDAL BEHAVIOURS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
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UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK
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This study aimed to examine the impact of academic stress on suicidal behaviours among undergraduate students in Malaysia. The study utilised a cross-sectional quantitative design to survey 160 undergraduate students from Malaysian institution using the Perceived Academic Stress (PAS) Scale and the Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Results indicated a low overall prevalence of suicidal attempts at 9.4%, with Year 3 students exhibiting the highest prevalence rate of suicide attempts at 5.0%. Interestingly, a weak negative correlation (r = -0.287, p < 0.05) between academic stress and suicidal behaviours was found. As academic stress increases, suicidal behaviours decrease, suggesting that students under high stress might develop coping mechanisms that reduce suicidal tendencies. However, Multiple Regression analysis revealed that workload and examinations significantly predicted suicidal behaviours, accounting for 6.3% of the variance. The findings highlighted the importance of mental health resources, social support, and resilience in reducing the risk of suicidal behaviours and underscore the need for comprehensive mental health services and targeted interventions within universities.