Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Suicidal Behavior Among Patients Admitted to Emergency Units in Imo State

Suicidal behavior in emergency settings reflects an acute psychiatric crisis that demands rapid assessment and informed clinical response. This study identifies sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with suicidal behavior among patients presenting to emergency units at two tertiary hospitals in Imo State, South East Nigeria. A prospective case-control design will recruit 100 patients presenting with suicide attempts (cases) and 100 emergency unit controls presenting with non-psychiatric complaints over 18 months. The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), Becks Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and structured clinical interviews will be used to characterize suicidal behavior, depressive severity, and comorbid diagnoses. Sociodemographic variables including gender, age, unemployment status, recent interpersonal loss, and access to lethal means will be analyzed. Conditional logistic regression will identify independent risk factors. Nigerian emergency psychiatry data remain fragmented, with few prospective studies from South East Nigeria. Findings will contribute evidence for suicide risk assessment protocols in Imo State emergency departments and inform national suicide prevention strategies currently under development by the Federal Ministry of Health. Keywords: suicidal behavior, emergency unit, risk factors, Imo State, suicide attempt