Perfectionism, career indecision and suicidal ideation among undergraduates

Increasing prevalence of suicide among undergraduates is a major concern worldwide. The incidences of suicide in Nigeria within this few years is alarming and demands for a considerable research attention. This study sought to find out the predictive powers of career indecision and perfectionism on suicidal ideation among Nigerian university students. Data were collected from 570 university undergraduates using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), Career Decision-making Difficulty questionnaire (CDDQ) and the multi-dimensional perfectionism scale (MPS). Data collected were analyzed using, descriptive and inferential statistics. The results among others indicated that career indecision and perfectionism scores were significant predictors of students’ suicidal ideation. All career decision difficulty questionnaire subscales as well as the total CDDQ score had positively significant relationships with suicidal ideation of the participants. The total perfectionism score, as well as the three perfectionism dimensions (SPP, OPP and SOP), predicted suicidal ideation significantly in a positive direction such that high SPP, OPP and SOP, each accounted for increased suicidal ideation. It was concluded that the career difficulty and perfectionism are significant risk factors for suicidal ideation in university undergraduates.