Depression and Suicidal Ideation among College Students with and without Learning Disabilities in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated depression and suicidal ideation in students with and without learning disabilities in two Colleges of Education in Nigeria. The students in this study were between 18 and 24 years old, numbering 391 in total. The number of male students was 165, while female students were 226. Five valid and reliable instruments were used to carry out the study. The study adopted a descriptive research design, and purposive sampling technique was used to select the population. Data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and Pearson product moment correlation. In this study, students with learning disabilities experienced more depression and were more prone to suicidal ideation when compared to their mates without learning disabilities. One of the recommendations in the study is that mental health experts need to address mental health issues and suicidality affecting students in tertiary institutions.