Psicología · 2026
Asociación entre el estrés académico y la ideación suicida en estudiantes de los primeros semestres de la Universidad EAFIT
The transition into the first semesters of university concentrates academic demands and adaptive challenges that may compromise students’ emotional balance. This research examined the association between academic stress and suicidal ideation in 294 students enrolled in the first three semesters at Universidad EAFIT (Medellín, Colombia), with valid protocols analyzed for 294 cases for academic stress and 280 for suicidal ideation. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional and correlational design was employed, with a non-probabilistic convenience sample. The SISCO Academic Stress Inventory (Barraza, 2007) and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI; Beck et al., 1979) were administered, both showing strong psychometric properties in Latin American populations. Data were processed in RStudio through descriptive statistics, Pearson chi square test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results showed that 87.1% of participants reported academic stress and 41.8% presented some level of suicidal ideation. A significant association was found between the two variables (χ² = 8.17; p < 0.01), although with a low effect size (Cramer’s V = 0.17). Psychological (ρ = 0.418), behavioral (ρ = 0.380) and physical (ρ = 0.352) reactions were associated with suicidal ideation, whereas coping strategies did not show a significant relationship. These findings partially support the research hypothesis and make it clear that psychological accompaniment from the first semester should not be optional.