Abnormal and Behavioural Psychology

Suicidal ideation is a common problem among adolescents and as such it has become an issue of concern among scholars throughout the whole world. There are many risk factors of suicidal ideation among adolescents. It is based on this fact that this study aimed at looking at rumination and academic as predictors of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria. Adolescents in the public secondary school educational sector in Lagos State, Nigeria constituted the population of this study. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in the study, convenient sampling technique was used to select the secondary schools used and the adolescents were accidentally sampled. Only individuals who are adolescents (11-19 years) participated in the research-they are 600 in number (comprising male and female adolescents). Copies of questionnaire were the instruments used in this study; they include Hopelessness Depression Symptom Questionnaire-Suicidality subscale (HDSQSS) developed by Metalsky and Joiner, Ruminative Responses Scale developed by Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow and Revised Academic Hardiness Scale developed by Benishek et al. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using multiple regression analysis. The first and second hypotheses which stated that Rumination will significantly predict suicidal ideation among Nigerian adolescents (β=0.239, p<0.01) and academic hardiness will significantly predict suicidal ideation among Nigerian adolescents (β=-0.097, p<0.05), respectively were confirmed and accepted. Also the third hypothesis which stated that rumination and academic hardiness will jointly predict suicidal ideation among Nigerian adolescents [F(2,545)=18.68, p<0.01] was also confirmed and accepted. Based on the result of the research, various recommendations were given to adolescents, parents, guardians and teachers