Subjective academic achievement and suicide behavior among university students in Ghana: A moderated mediation of financial stress and depression

PLOS Ment Health. 2026 May 29;3(5):e0000381. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000381. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the mediating role of depression in the association between subjective academic achievement and suicide behaviour. Further, we sought to find out whether financial stress would moderate such a plausible mediated relationship. A cross-sectional survey was used in the study. Out of 460 undergraduate students sampled for the study, 51.5% were male (Meanage = 20.7; SD = 3.19). We observed that subjective academic achievement has a positive effect on depression, which in turn has a positive impact on suicide behaviour. And this relationship is not influenced by financial stress. It appears that the association between subjective academic achievement and depression is context-specific and requires further investigation, since at this stage, the relationship is fuzzy.

PMID:42213662 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pmen.0000381