Background: Social determinants - such as demographic, social, economic, and environmental factors - in our day-to-day life influence our mental health on a large scale, and it has been known that...Show moreBackground: Social determinants - such as demographic, social, economic, and environmental factors - in our day-to-day life influence our mental health on a large scale, and it has been known that our interactions with our environment affect us greatly. Evidence that support this matter is growing, especially the effect social determinants have on suicidality. Although research and clinical practices try to include this aspect, they fail to properly address the importance of the said social determinants in regard to mental health and suicide. Pre-existing literature considers social connectedness as nothing more than an indirect factor regarding mental health and suicidality, and only a small amount of research has focused on this aspect. Additionally, evidence shows that international students are at risk of developing mental health problems and suicidal ideation. Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between perceived social connectedness and suicidal ideation in international students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted through Qualtrics, recruiting Leiden University students (n = 139). In order to test suicidal ideation, the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) was used. To test perceived social connectedness, Social Connectedness Scale - Revised (SCS-R) was used. Respondents were also asked about their nationality in order to determine whether or not they were domestic or international students. The final sample included in order to perform simple linear regression was n = 55. Results: The results showed that higher perceived social connectedness significantly predicts lower suicidal ideation in international students and explains 16.7% of the variance in the population. Conclusions: Overall, the effect of social connectedness on suicidal ideation is evident. Without doubt, there are social determinants that contribute to our mental health and with the investigation of its components, we would be able to improve both theories of suicide and clinical interventions.Show less
