The Influence of Social Support on The Emergence of Suicidal Ideation Among Students| 2023

The Influence of Social Support on The Emergence of

Suicidal Ideation Among College Students

Authors:
Syafira Tazkia , Syifa Sakinah Nurmeisya2, Tatu Zakiyatun Nufus3
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Psychology faculty of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Recently, suicide has become a rampant case, especially among university students. One of the factors causing
suicide is the lack of social support obtained by students. Someone who gets weak social support has a higher risk
of committing suicide. Social support that can influence the emergence of suicidal ideation is the lack of support
from family, friends and significant others. The method used in this writing is descriptive using literature studies,
namely sources related to social support and suicidal ideation in college students.
Keywords: Social Support, Suicidal Ideation, Students.

Introduction
Suicide is now a rampant case among the younger generation. Youth suicide rates have
become three times greater in the last 30 years (Stuart, 2013). Indonesia is ranked 8th among
ASEAN countries as a country with a high suicide rate (WHO, 2016). One of the vulnerable
and most prevalent populations of suicide cases is university students. Students are a
transitional phase from adolescence to adulthood. Therefore, there are many burdens that must
be accepted by students to become responsible adults.
Social support is one of the important factors that can help individuals in living their
personal lives. This is because in living life, individuals will interact and need each other in
their social environment. Social support is defined as all forms of support provided by other
individuals and groups that help an individual cope with life (Reber & Reber, 2010). Social
support can be found from family, friends, or the surrounding environment. High social support
can reduce stress and prevent suicidal ideation, whereas a lack of social support can increase
stress and trigger suicidal ideation.
Literature review
a. Suicidal Ideation
1. Definition of Suicidal Ideation
According to Reynolds (1991), suicidal ideation is the thoughts and cognitions
that a person has about suicidal behavior and suicidal intentions, and can be
considered a key marker for the risk of more serious suicidal behavior. However,

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suicidal ideation is different from suicidal behavior and death by suicide. suicide is
an indicator of pathology or personal crisis, and is associated with the risk of death
by suicide. Suicidal ideation is a process of contemplation of suicide or a method
used without taking action, and the person will not even express the idea if not
pressured. However, it is important to realize that a person at this stage has thoughts
about wanting to die. These thoughts and attempts are one of the strongest risk
factors for completing suicide.
2. Factors Causing Suicidal Ideation
The factors that cause suicide are divided into two, namely factors that come
from within a person (internal) and something from outside a person (external).
Factors that cause suicide according to Hadriani (in cristiani, 2011) include:
a) Internal Factors
1) Depression is an anger due to loss of love, this factor is the reason for many
people to commit suicide.
2) Desperation, people who have a pessimistic view of solving problems will
make their minds rigid and choose suicide to solve their problems.
b) External Factors
1) Social support, this factor can also encourage someone to have suicidal
tendencies, namely the absence of a meaningful social role and support in their
environment.Therefore social support is also the most influential factor in
preventing suicide.
3. Suicide Phenomenon
The phenomenon of suicide lately is happening a lot among teenagers,
especially students, the pressure they receive makes them choose to end their lives
because they are no longer strong enough to withstand the pressure. This makes many
people around them afraid of it, suicide ideas are usually planned in advance. Suicidal
ideation is a specific thought that individuals have to end their lives from many thoughts
about death that exist (Gonvalces et al,.2014).
Examples of suicide cases that have recently occurred are the case of a student
at one of the universities in Semarang who ended his life by jumping from a height, he
left a letter for her family ,she apologized for choosing to end her life and the suicide
case of a student in Surabaya, who ended her life by inhaling helium gas in the car, she

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 The Influence of Social Support on The Emergence of Suicidal Ideation Among Students| 2023

left a letter for the people closest to him. From his letter, it was implied that she felt
depressed by her mother's overprotective nature with here, which made she tired and
chose to end her life.
Of the several suicides that occur, the case of students is the most common case,
therefore we must provide more support for a student because the student period is a
period that is quite heavy, especially for new students and final students who will do a
thesis because usually that period makes them stressed and tired because of the pressure
of assignments and others so we must provide more support for them.
b. Social Support
1. Definition of Social Support
Uchino (in Saarfino, 2011) stated that social support is a form of acceptance
from a person or group of people towards individuals who give rise to perceptions
in themselves that they are loved, cared for, valued, and helped. According to
Cohen, Underwood and Gothlieb (2000) the term social support refers to social
resources that are available to a person or that are actually given to that person by a
non-professional in the form of information support, empathy, material support and
advice.
2. The Dimensions of Social Support
According to Cohen and Hoberman (1983) there are 4 forms of social support,
namely:
a. Appraisal Support
Support in the form of advice related to solving a problem to help reduce
stressors.
b. Tangible Assistance
Social support that is material, financial, or service in nature. this support is
usually done directly.
c. Self Esteem Support
This social support is in the form of emotional assistance and positive
acceptance from others that increases the individual's feelings of competence
and self-worth, especially through empathy, care, and positive encouragement.
d. Belonging Support

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This social support is key to feeling accepted in the group, creating a sense of
community and membership. Spending time with people who share similar
interests reduces stress, fulfills the need for affiliation, and builds supportive
relationships.
3. The Sources of Social Support
1. Family social support
Family is the main source of support before support from friends, and
significant others. family is the first source of social support that adolescents
receive. Therefore, adolescents and families have a long-term relationship that
always provides support to adolescents.
2. Social support from friends
Social support from friends can also affect the emergence of suicidal ideation
because adolescents are experiencing a developmental period of self-discovery,
one of which is identity search. Adolescents are experiencing a developmental
period of identity search, one of which is by making friends and looking for
peer groups. by making friends and looking for peer groups. With social
support, such as neglect from friends who are lacking, it can lead to suicidal
ideation in adolescents.
3. Social support from significant other
Social support from significant others can lead to suicidal ideation due to a lack
of social support from significant others. suicidal ideation due to lack of social
support from significant others. Significant other have a role for adolescents to
monitor their mental state or mental health.
Methodology
The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative with literature study. The
author analyzes data through reference sources such as journals, articles, and existing
research.existing research.

Result and finding

The results of this study indicate that social support affects the emergence of suicidal
ideation in students. According to research conducted by Endo et al (2014), there is a
relationship between social support with suicidal ideation, namely the degree of acceptance

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and provision of social support social support will increase the severity of suicidal ideation
suicidal ideation which will also increase the strong dissatisfaction towards the social support
that is raised. Salsabhilla and Panjaitan (2019) state that there is a relationship between social
support and suicidal ideation. between social support (from family, friends and significant
others) and suicidal ideation.

Conclusion
Based on the analysis of the journals that have been carried out, it can be concluded
that social support is the most important factor in preventing suicide among students, meaning
that a student who gets high social support has a very small rate of committing suicide, and
vice versa. If a student gets low social support sometimes if he is stressed the possibility of
committing suicide is very high.
This research suggests that increased awareness and understanding of the impact of
social support on suicidal ideation can contribute to suicide prevention and intervention efforts
in college students. Unfortunately, the percentage of suicides is still very high, which means
that there is still a lack of people around suicide victims who care about the role of social
support.

References
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(t.t.). PENGARUH DUKUNGAN SOSIAL DAN HOPELESSNESS TERHADAP IDE BUNUH
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