Help‐seeking anxiety, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation among medical and nursing students: A cross‐sectional study

Aim Suicide among young adults has become a serious public health concern. In Japan, suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults. Suicidal ideation is a clinically meaningful psychological burden among young adults. However, the associations of suicidal ideation with help‐seeking anxiety, psychological distress, and subjective well‐being among healthcare students have not been explored sufficiently. This study aimed to examine the cross‐sectional associations of help‐seeking anxiety, psychological distress, and subjective well‐being with suicidal ideation among first‐year healthcare students. Methods A cross‐sectional web‐based survey was conducted among 142 first‐year medical and nursing university students in Japan. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, subjective well‐being was assessed using the World Health Organization 5‐item Well‐Being Index (WHO‐5), and help‐seeking anxiety was assessed using the Thoughts About Therapy Survey. Associations among help‐seeking anxiety, psychological distress, subjective well‐being, and suicidal ideation were examined using Spearman's correlation analysis and multivariable regression analyses. Results Higher help‐seeking anxiety was associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation and psychological distress. Psychological distress was also associated with suicidal ideation, whereas subjective well‐being was not clearly associated with suicidal ideation. In the multivariable regression analyses, help‐seeking anxiety remained associated with suicidal ideation after accounting for psychological distress and subjective well‐being. Additionally, most students reported having someone to consult when experiencing distress; however, awareness of university mental health services was limited. Conclusion These findings highlight suicidal ideation as a clinically meaningful psychological burden among first‐year healthcare students and suggest that psychological distress and help‐seeking anxiety are associated with suicidal ideation.