Chronic physical conditions and suicidal ideation: A population-level analysis of Canadian school-attending young adults

Background Students who identify with a chronic physical condition are a growing population and their conditions may be associated with poor mental well-being. Aim To compare suicidal ideation prevalence between Canadian school-attending young adults with and without a chronic physical condition. We hypothesized that students living with a chronic condition have a higher likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a nationally representative sample of 2297 Canadian school-attending young adults (ages 15-29 years) from the 2012-13 Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Survey-weighted logistic regression and sensitivity analyses were performed to estimate the likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation between students with and without a chronic physical condition. Results Approximately 14.3% (n = 329) students experienced suicidal ideation at some point. Students living with a physical chronic condition demonstrated 1.65 (95% CI: 1.14, 2.39) times higher odds of experiencing suicidal ideation, compared to students not living with a chronic physical condition. Conclusions Suicide prevention and health promotion are important considerations for campus health providers and administrators when planning services and accommodations for students living with chronic physical conditions.