Psychosocial Predictors of Suicidal Ideation in Mexican Adolescents: The Role of Gender, Bullying, and Intrafamilial Violence

BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation (SI) is a leading mental health concern among Latin American adolescents, yet evidence from Mexico remains scarce. OBJECTIVE: To identify psychosocial predictors of SI in Mexican secondary school students, with specific attention to gender, bullying, violence, and academic performance. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 278 adolescents (ages 12–18) in Veracruz employed the Reynolds Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire and structured items on bullying, family violence, and scholastic variables. Independent-samples t-tests, χ² tests, ANOVA, and multivariable regression models were run in R (2024.03). RESULTS: Moderate-to-high SI was present in 37.4% of participants. Female sex (OR = 3.18, 95% CI 1.17–7.86, p = .022) and lower academic performance (B = 7.03, p = .027) independently predicted SI after adjustment. Bullying and family violence were strong bivariate correlates but lost significance in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: Gendered vulnerability and academic disengagement outweigh bullying and intrafamilial violence as independent correlates of SI. School-centered, gender-responsive mental health screening that integrates academic support is warranted. Longitudinal research should clarify causal pathways and evaluate AI-enabled early-warning systems in low- and middle-income settings.