•  
  •  
 

ORCID ID

Shin Ling Wu: 0000-0001-8169-5585

Yong Chy Sin: 0000-0002-1357-5730

Abstract

Background: The escalating suicide rates among young adults, including those in Malaysia, necessitate a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to suicidal ideation. This study investigates the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived problem-solving ability, including problem-solving confidence, approach-avoidance style, personal control of emotion, and suicidal ideation among Malaysian young adults.

Methods: A total of 231 Malaysian young adults aged 18 to 25 years (Mean = 21.1; SD = 1.38) participated in a cross-sectional survey study. The sample was primarily composed of participants of Chinese ethnicity. Using an online survey, participants completed measures including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) depression subscale, Problem-Solving Inventory, and Yatt Suicide Attitude Scale (YSAS).

Results: Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between depressive symptoms, perceived problem-solving ability (specifically problem-solving confidence, approach-avoidance style, and personal control of emotion), and suicidal ideation. Further analysis through logistic regression revealed that young adults with suicidal ideation exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms and lower confidence in problem-solving compared to those without suicidal ideation.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of addressing depression and promoting effective problem-solving skills as significant strategies to reduce suicidal risk among young adults. Suicide prevention initiatives should prioritize interventions aimed at improving mental well-being and bolstering problem-solving ability in this vulnerable population.

References

  1. World Health Organization. Suicide. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2023.
  2. Ova. Suicide cases in Malaysia increase by 10% from 2022 to 2023. Kuala Lumpur: Ova, 2024.
  3. Institute for Youth Research Malaysia, United Nations Children’s Fund. Malaysian youth mental health index 2023: Facts and figures. Putrajaya: Institute for Youth Research Malaysia, United Nations Children’s Fund, 2024.
  4. Lew B, Kõlves K, Lester D, Chen WS, Ibrahim NB, Khamal NRB, et al. Looking into recent suicide rates and trends in Malaysia: A comparative analysis. Front Psychiat. 2022;12:770252.
  5. Kalin NH. Anxiety, depression, and suicide in youth. Am J Psychiat. 2021;178:275–9.
  6. Gijzen MWM, Rasing SPA, Creemers DHM, Smit F, Engels RCME, De Beurs D. Suicide ideation as a symptom of adolescent depression. a network analysis. J Affect Disord. 2021;278:68–77.
  7. Orsolini L, Latini R, Pompili M, Serafini G, Volpe U, Vellante F, et al. Understanding the complex of suicide in Depression: From research to clinics. Psychiatry Investig. 2020;17:207–21.
  8. Arnett JJ. Emerging adulthood. A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. Am Psychol. 2000;55:469–80.
  9. Chou WJ, Ko CH, Hsiao RC, Cheng CP, Yen CF. Association of stress coping strategies with suicidality in young adults: The mediation effects of depression, anxiety and hostility. Neuropsychiatry. 2017;7:974–82.
  10. Darvishi N, Farhadi M, Azmi-Naei B, Poorolajal J. The role of problem-solving skills in the prevention of suicidal behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2023;18:e0293620.
  11. Liu Q, He H, Yang J, Feng X, Zhao F, Lyu J. Changes in the global burden of depression from 1990 to 2017: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease study. J Psychiatr Res. 2020;126:134–40.
  12. Chin WC, Wu SL. The predicting effects of depression and self-esteem on suicidal ideation among adolescents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. J Health Transl Med. 2020;23:60–6.
  13. Li X, Mu F, Liu D, Zhu J, Yue S, Liu M, et al. Predictors of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and suicide death among people with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Affect Disord. 2022;302:332–51.
  14. Franklin JC, Ribeiro JD, Fox KR, Bentley KH, Kleiman EM, Huang X, et al. Risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A meta-analysis of 50 years of research. Psychol Bull. 2017;143):187–232.
  15. Ahmad N, Cheong SM, Ibrahim N, Rosman A. Suicidal ideation among Malaysian adolescents. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2014;26:63S–9S.
  16. Khan A, Mustaffa MS, Hamdan AR, Ahmad R. Influence of psychological factors on suicide ideation among Malaysian and Indian adolescent. Procd Soc Behvi. 2014;143:347–51.
  17. Ibrahim N, Amit N, Suen MW. Psychological factors as predictors of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Malaysia. PLoS One. 2014;9:e110670.
  18. Thapar A, Eyre O, Patel V, Brent D. Depression in young people. Lancet. 2022;400:617–31.
  19. Jonassen DH, Hung W. Problem solving. In Seel NM, editor. Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Boston, MA: Springer; 2012. p.2680–3.
  20. Korkmaz S, Danacı Keleş D, Kazgan A, Baykara S, Gürkan Gürok M, Feyzi Demir C, et al. Emotional intelligence and problem solving skills in individuals who attempted suicide. J Clin Neurosci. 2020;74:120–3.
  21. Chu C, Walker KL, Stanley IH, Hirsch JK, Greenberg JH, Rudd MD, et al. Perceived problem-solving deficits and suicidal ideation: Evidence for the explanatory roles of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in five samples. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2018;115:137–60.
  22. Sharaf AY, Lachine OA, Thompson EA. Rumination, social problem solving and suicide intent among Egyptians with a recent suicide attempt. Arch Psychiat Nurs. 2018;32:86–92.
  23. Quiñones V, Jurska J, Fener E, Miranda R. Active and passive problem solving: Moderating role in the relation between depressive symptoms and future suicidal ideation varies by suicide attempt history. J Clin Psychol. 2015;71:402–12.
  24. Choi NG, Marti CN, Conwell Y. Effect of problem-solving therapy on depressed low-income homebound older adults' death/suicidal ideation and hopelessness. Suicide Life-Threat. 2016;46:323–36.
  25. Gustavson KA, Alexopoulos GS, Niu GC, McCulloch C, Meade T, Areán PA. Problem-solving therapy reduces suicidal ideation in depressed older adults with executive dysfunction. Am J Geriat Psychiat. 2016;24:11–7.
  26. Heppner PP, Witty TE, Dixon WA. Problem-solving appraisal and human adjustment: A review of 20 years of research using the problem solving inventory. Couns Psychol. 2004;32:344–428.
  27. Bandura A. Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. 1st ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc; 1986.
  28. Pourmovahed Z, Mazloomy Mahmoodabad SS, Zareei Mahmoodabadi H, Tavangar H, Yassini Ardekani SM, Vaezi AA. Deficiency of self-efficacy in problem-solving as a contributory factor in family instability: A qualitative study. Iran J Psychiatr. 2018;13:32–9.
  29. Abdollahi A, Abu Talib M, Carlbring P, Harvey R, Yaacob SN, Ismail Z. Problem-solving skills and perceived stress among undergraduate students: The moderating role of hardiness. J Health Psychol. 2018;23:1321–31.
  30. Gautam A. Problem solving style, perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation among college students. Int J Indian Psychol. 2016;3:6–13.
  31. Mayordomo-Rodríguez T, Meléndez-Moral JC, Viguer-Segui P, Sales-Galán A. Coping strategies as predictors of well-being in youth adult. Soc Indic Res. 2014;122:479–89.
  32. Benatov J, Klomek AB, Shira B, Apter A, Carli V, Wasserman C, et al. Doing nothing is sometimes worse: Comparing avoidant versus approach coping strategies with peer victimization and their association to depression and suicide ideation. J Sch Violence. 2020;19:456–69.
  33. Abdollahi A, Talib MA, Yaacob SN, Ismail Z. Problem-solving skills and suicidal ideation among Malaysian college students: The mediating role of hopelessness. Acad Psychiatr. 2016;40:261–7.
  34. Linda WP, Marroquín B, Miranda R. Active and passive problem solving as moderators of the relation between negative life event stress and suicidal ideation among suicide attempters and non-attempters. Arch Suicide Res. 2012;16:183–97.
  35. Ben-Zur H. Emotion-focused coping. In Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford T. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Switzerland: Springer Cham; 2017. p.1–4.
  36. Fishman EJ, Husman J. Extending attribution theory: Considering students' perceived control of the attribution process. J Educ Psychol. 2017;109:559–73.
  37. Qian G. Associations of suicide and subjective well-being. Omega. 2021;84:103–15.
  38. Armitage CJ, Panagioti M, Abdul Rahim W, Rowe R, O'Connor RC. Completed suicides and self-harm in Malaysia: A systematic review. Gen Hosp Psychiat. 2015;37:153–65.
  39. Bahar N, Ismail WS, Hussain N, Haniff J, Bujang MA, Hamid AM, et al. Suicide among the youth in Malaysia: What do we know? Asia-Pac Psychiat. 2015;7:223–9.
  40. Tatum M. Malaysia to decriminalise suicide. Lancet. 2023;401:1915.
  41. Kinchin I, Doran CM. The cost of youth suicide in Australia. Int J Env Res Pub He. 2018;15:672.
  42. Firincik S, Gürhan N. The effect of problem-solving ability on suicide, depression, and hopelessness in cigarette, alcohol, or substance addicts and relationships with each other. J Psychiat Nurs. 2019;10:39–47.
  43. Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF. Manual for the depression anxiety stress scales. Sydney: Psychology Foundation of Australia; 1996.
  44. Heppner P, Petersen C. The development and implications of a personal problem-solving inventory. J Couns Psychol. 1982;29:66–75.
  45. Ibrahim N, Che Din N, Amit N, Ghazali SE, Mohd Safien A. Development and validation of Yatt Suicide Attitude Scale (YSAS) in Malaysia. PLoS One. 2019;14:e0209971.
  46. Turecki G, Brent DA, Gunnell D, O'Connor RC, Oquendo MA, Pirkis J, et al. Suicide and suicide risk. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019;5:74.
  47. Bae SM. The prediction model of suicidal thoughts in Korean adults using Decision Tree Analysis: A nationwide cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2019;14:e0223220.
  48. Jose S, Angelina J. Meaning in life as a predictor of depression and suicide ideation among young adults in Kerala, India. Indian J Health Wellbeing. 2019;10:249–52.
  49. Harlim J, Belski I. Learning TRIZ: Impact on confidence when facing problems. Procedia Engineer. 2015;131:95–103.
  50. Rosi A, Cavallini E, Gamboz N, Vecchi T, Van Vugt FT, Russo R. The impact of failures and successes on affect and self-esteem in young and older adults. Front Psychol. 2019;10:1795.
  51. Zimmerman BJ, Campillo M. Motivating self-regulated problem solvers. In Davidson JE, Strenberg RJ, editors. The psychology of problem solving. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2003. p.233–62.
  52. Colomeischi AA. Predictors for wellbeing: Emotional factors and expectancy for success. Procd Soc Behav. 2015;190:48–53.
  53. Pretorius TB, Padmanabhanunni A. Toward a positive life beyond COVID-19: Problem-solving appraisal as a resistance resource in the relationship between stress and well-being in students. Healthcare. 2023;11:350.
  54. Shoesmith WD, Pang N. The interpretation of depressive symptoms in urban and rural areas in Sabah, Malaysia. ASEAN J Psychiatr. 2016;17:42–53.
  55. Breet E, Goldstone D, Bantjes J. Substance use and suicidal ideation and behaviour in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:549.
  56. Schafer JL, Teixeira VA, Fontoura LP, Castro LC, Horta RL. Exposure to physical and sexual violence and suicidal ideation among school children. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2017;66:96–103.
  57. Qiu T, Klonsky ED, Klein DN. Hopelessness predicts suicide ideation but not attempts: A 10-year longitudinal study. Suicide Life-Threat. 2017;47:718–22.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.