Cross-sectional study links suicidal ideation with anxiety, recurrent cancer and longer diagnosis duration among Ugandan adolescents and young adults

A cross-sectional analytical survey found suicidal ideation in 63.5% of adolescents and young adults with cancer attending oncology clinics at the Uganda Cancer Institute and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. The study, summarized in the article abstract, included 271 participants aged 10–24 years and was conducted between March and May 2024. Suicidal ideation was assessed with four suicide-related items rated on a four-point Likert scale, while depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 instruments, respectively.

Multivariable logistic regression identified several characteristics independently associated with suicidal ideation. Probable anxiety had the strongest reported association, with an adjusted odds ratio of 15.37 (95% CI, 1.88–125.65). A history of cancer recurrence was also associated with higher odds (aOR, 5.56; 95% CI, 1.84–16.77), as was a cancer diagnosis lasting more than two years (aOR, 4.17; 95% CI, 1.38–12.57). Probable depression was associated with suicidal ideation at an aOR of 3.70 (95% CI, 1.03–13.29).

Receiving a combination of cancer treatment modalities was associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation than the study’s comparison condition (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09–0.78). The authors also performed a sensitivity analysis using a stricter threshold for suicidal ideation, although the abstract does not report the sensitivity-analysis estimates. The findings therefore describe measured associations in the enrolled population rather than causal effects of cancer, treatment, depression or anxiety.

The study’s scope was limited to adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 years who attended the two participating oncology clinics during the study period. Its cross-sectional design does not establish the direction of relationships or determine changes in suicidal ideation over time. The abstract does not provide information about non-attendees, additional clinical settings, participant recruitment details or the full results of the sensitivity analysis. It also notes that evidence on suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults with cancer in low- and middle-income countries, including Uganda, remains scarce.

Subject of Research: Cross-sectional assessment of suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults with cancer in Uganda

Article Title: Suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults with cancer in Uganda

Article References: Mukiibi, N., Abaatyo, J., Nanziri, A., Ntukunda, F., Kaggwa, M. M., & Rukundo, G. Z. (2026). Suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults with cancer in Uganda. BMC Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-026-16990-4

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12885-026-16990-4

Keywords: suicidal ideation, adolescents, young adults, cancer, Uganda, anxiety, depression, cancer recurrence, oncology care, cross-sectional study, Suicidal, ideation